Morning Edition - 4/3/08

I Caught Up
Twenty years ago following a hot shower in a West Village YMCA in New York City I met a man and his friend in the men’s locker room. A street-smart 18-year old with a shit-load of spirit and a bangin’ ass, I slipped into my shorts and t-shirt and began applying lotion to my legs. The man, who was staring intently began a casual conversation that ended with an invitation out for a drink. As the three of us took the walk down to the watering holes that littered Christopher Street, we talked about what we did for a living and quickly found out that I was just an unfortunate youngster that happened to have quite a bit of luck at meeting wonderful people. That evening was the beginning of a 20-year friendship that saw me grow into the man I am today. Remarkably, I am now the age that man was when I met him. Today as this amazing friend celebrates a birthday, I am grateful to him for always being there; a strong, classy, mentor who never made me feel infantile or immature, simply his peer. Throughout the years, we’ve moved around – even living hundreds of miles from each other – yet we’ve always found the time to catch each other up on where we are in life. He always has a way of reminding me of key moments in my life as seen through his eyes. His view of me – both mentally and physically – have always served to build my self esteem and confidence. Today, for his birthday, I wanted to share a sliver of our history. Less than one year after meeting, he was at my house; I lived in a large private house with two roommates. The house had an attic that was never used and it led out to the roof of the house. From the roof of the house you could see the entire neighborhood and a beautiful park that was just across the street. One evening after a couple of drinks, he and I went out onto the roof and were watching the stars. I felt so warm and safe as he held me in his arms. As we got hot and sweaty under the stars I was filled with the exhilaration of making love under the stars – even if it was on the roof of my house. Yeah, memories never die and true friendship never does either. Thank you for your friendship, your love and the security of knowing that someone is there for you for life. Happy birthday Chris!

On Blast
Do you have a story of someone you dated at an early age that is still a friend today?

Keep passin’ the open windows…