Friendship...None of that touchy-feely shit

Got this the other day in an email....brilliant

Are you tired of those sissy 'friendship' poems that always sound good, but never actually come close to reality?

Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship.

You will see no cute little smiley faces on this ~ Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad ~ I will help you get drunk and plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you sad.

2. When you are blue ~ I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile ~ I will know you are thinking of something that I would probably want to be involved in. . .

4. When you are scared ~ I will rag on you about it every chance I get until you're NOT.

5. When you are worried ~ I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused ~ I will try to use only little words.

7. When you are sick ~ Stay the hell away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have. . .

8. When you fall ~ I will laugh at your clumsy ass, but I'll help you up.

9. This is my oath .... I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask ~ because you are my friend.

Friendship is like peeing in your pants, everyone can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth.

Send this to 10 of your closest friends.

Then get depressed because you can only think of 4.

lonely...obstinate...or tenacious?

I was out in Concord today doing a little work at my kids house, when I noticed how sunny the day was turning out. I needed a break and a smoke, so I thought I would go out to the garage and admire the view.

The sky was clear blue, clearer than I normally see in the city, and great big puffy clouds moved through here and there...the sun making them look perfectly white as they rolled by.

Standing in the garage doorway, I started to take in that once familiar landscape and I began to look for the changes in it since moving out five years ago. A grown shrub here, a taller tree there...when I started to examine the tree to my right to see how it had changed.

It's a Japanese Maple, I believe, but I can't say for sure...the names of trees and flowers don't register in my brain in any sort of way...perhaps because of my city upbringing. But I had always enjoyed how leafy that tree was in full bloom and how it kept the family room in nice cool shade during the summer months.

It was while I was gauging its height that I noticed the leaf.

One single leaf left...still holding on. January 9th, six inches of snow, ten degrees below freezing... but this leaf still held on. I thought about how the wind and rains batter the front of the house...but this leaf still held on. I thought about how the snow whips around that corner of the house...but this leaf still held on.

I wondered if the leaf was lonely, kind of feeling sorry for it...all alone up there, facing the harsh elements on its own, no shelter from the storm, nothing but barren branches for company and sustenance. But I held that thought for mere moments.

I soon started to admire that leaf...all alone up there. It was holding on...through the wind, rain, sun, cold and snow...it still held on. Whatever was thrown at it that chased off all the other leaves...it still held on. Mother nature beat at it mercilessly, mankind threw copious amounts of toxic fumes at it from the busy roadway...it still held on.

It was time for me to get back inside, to finish up for the day...but I took a last look at the leaf and decided to take its picture. I wished I could take a picture that could do that leaf justice...and justice to the surprising inspiration I discovered on this pretty winters day. Hang in there buddy!