Three months since our last visit. Here I am, sweating the writing of this post. Why? Well, it’s like this; maybe you can relate:

An opportune moment.

An old friend emails you a sweet hey-howdy, wassup, here’s-what’s-new-with-me email. You read the lovely missive. Love bomb goes off in your chest, but…

Three quadrillion things on your Should-Do list.

• The compulsion to craft an equally witty and fun-filled reply creeps into the room.
• Should-Do screams “No! Us first! Fun later!”
• You plead with her, “Just a quick I love you!”
• Should-Do assures, “Look, you can respond when you have time to say something really cool and unforgettable. Here, put it on the list.”
• “Tomorrow,” you promise yourself and your compulsion.

Tomorrow comes. Twenty-five more things on Should-Do. Buddy slips down a few lines on the list. You feel crummy.

Three days pass. You see Buddy’s email…sitting there in your in-box…waiting. Patiently. Maybe tapping her foot, ever so slightly.

Five days. Now Inner Critic joins the conversation.

“You really suck. Some friend.”

Now you contemplate lying to Buddy, because “I was busy” is so lame.

“I got hit by a bus.”

“Typhus.”

“My dog ate it.”

A month goes by. Three. Now Buddy hates you for sure. She has written you off and moved on.

You are in the middle of organizing the boxes and golf clubs in the garage. An interesting configuration of dust bunnies and paper scraps take on the uncanny likeness of the face of Buddy.

You drop the clubs. You go inside. You write the email.

“I love you.” And lots of other words. Very fun and witty ones. Ten minutes later, you hit send.

Five days later. Reply from Buddy:

“Sorry, been busy. I know you’re busy too. You had me at I love you.” 🙂

Moral:

The stories we tell ourselves are often not the real story.

Also, I know my blog has been moldering. I’ve been busy. I know you love me.

Also, I was writing a book. It’s done. Check it out HERE 🙂