Ok, I know it's not some huge revelation that no friendship is easy, but the same can be said about water being wet. You don't really realize just how wet water is until someone pours it on your crotch. Trust me. The same realization holds true for friendships. Most of us don't realize how fragile our friendships are until the very foundation of those relationships are disturbed. And like all crises in life--major or minor--the manner in which we handle these disturbances dictates the future of that relationship. From what I've found, if you look at these situations as opportunities for growth and maturation, both sides have a better chance of coming out of the altercation more content with the outcome.
If you're willing to put in the necessary effort to maintain the friendship (there are always different things that dictate how much effort is necessary) these things are also easier to handle and process. But by far, the most effective thing someone can do to maintain a healthy friendship is also the easiest: Honesty. And this is actually true for pretty much every relationship we encounter. If you're honest with the other part of the relationship, you really have nothing to hide, and therefore, have nothing... to... hide... Secrets undermine any good thing. Anyone who's been burned by a lie, rumor, or other malicious secret can attest to this.
But I think the most important thing to remember in a friendship is that it's never too late to be honest. In an intimate relationship, admitting that you lied to your significant other can dig up a lot of unresolved issues and will be the proverbial can of worms. The dynamics of a friendship are different, however, since there isn't as much of an emotional investment, allowing cooler heads to prevail. As a result, it's easier for both people to talk through it rationally... usually.
First off, this is Bun B, in case you don't know. Now on with the story.
I was at Premium Goods, in Rice Village, just looking around when one of the girls that works there said "Hey, Bun, what up?" I didn't really pay attention to it until I heard Bun speak. You could tell it was him. I was just waiting for him to start rapping. So anyways, I try not to make a big deal out of it, while I begin to text people, "OmGz. Bun B is in the same store as me!" While I'm paying for a shirt, the girl that's checking me out (not checking me out in the "wants my body" sense) starts talking to Bun who's in line behind me. She inquires if he's doing any shows anytime soon and he said he might hang out backstage at the Jay-Z/Mary J. Blige show coming this Thursday. I turn and ask him if he knows about RZA coming to town. He said he heard something about it, but it wasn't set in stone. He asked how I knew about it and I said the internet. Then he gave me a record deal and made me Pimp C's replacement. Okay, maybe not, but if I had talked to him more, it could've happened.
Interesting things:
-Bun is short. I'm a measly 5'7" and he was barely an inch or so
taller than me. Note to self: Midget strippers and a wide-angle lens
can do a lot for your image.
-He was walking around wearing a shirt dedicated to Pimp C, jeans,
socks and sandals. Only in the South is that attire acceptable.
-As I walked out of the store, I saw his Lexus LS. Keys in the ignition, car still running, some obscure Screw Song jamming. I know this is a waste of money, a waste of gas, and a danger to the environment. But come on. It's Bun B.
As the title implies, I've decided to re-blog on the advice of a friend. This friend. With nothing of any real substance to write about, I've decided to blog about some random things. So, in no particular order:
1. Aaliyah's "At Your Best (You Are Love)" is currently one of my all-time favorite remakes. "At Your Best" was originally written, produced, and performed by the Isley Brothers. In my humble opinion, if you're going to remake a song--and a classic one at that--you either need to somehow make it better than the original, make a faithful reproduction, or some combination of the two. I think that's what we have here. Check it.
2. Digsby has made my life infinitely better. As a geek, or at least a wannabe-nerd, I find it absolutely necessary to be ahead of the curve when it comes to geeky things. Until now, my biggest bragging chip (I know the term is usually bargaining chip, but I couldn't think of anything else) was that I was on facebook, when it was still unpopular and only known to a handful of college students. Now, I think I'm cool again because I use Digsby. "But, Mike. What is this 'Digsby' you speak of?" I'm glad you asked. Take your favorite instant messaging client (i.e., AOL Instant Messenger, Google Chat, MSN Live, Yahoo! Instant Messenger). Cross-pollinate that with your preferred electronic mail service (i.e., GMail, Yahoo! Mail, remember Juno mail?). Take the love baby of those two things and menage-a-trois it with any of your favorite social networking websites (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.). What do you get? Digsby. Doesn't make sense? It will.
3. Google Calendar will make you a better person. Remember what Google did for the internet search engine? Remember what Google then did for email? They did the exact same thing with the calendar. If you can't figure out how this thing can improve the quality of your life, then this is for you.
4. Wine Bars will always be cooler than bars. Sure it's fun to go out and get wild and rowdy and debauch all over someone's face every once in a while. But I'm a grown ass man. I can only do that about once a month. Any more than that, and well... yeah. (F.Y.I. That isn't me. True story.) On top of that, wine bars like this one present the opportunity for decent conversation in an intimate setting, without the need to yell over the newest crappy song by 50 Cent. Sidebar: Wine bars have led to some of the funnier moments in my recent memory. I ate a Milk-Bone and it tastes remarkably like oat bran cereal. I spent most of the night watching some couple make out on and of for about 30 minutes. I swear she was half a glass of Cabernet away from doing something illegal. My friends and I then pondered who would be the first to put the proverbial quarter on the screen (obscure reference, I know, but you should get it.). I learned that the iPhone does everything... including tracking your menses. My friend fell into a ditch while trying to get out of a car. Plus, I ate Jack in the Box tacos. A night really doesn't get any better than that. What happened at the cool kids club? My friend almost got into a fight because some douche in a striped Express shirt with a white leather belt and matching white loafers bumped into him and wouldn't shut up. What was I doing at the time? That's right. Drinking wine.
5. You should use the word precarious at least once this week. Try this one out for starters: "Should I have the Pinot Noir or the Cabernet? This is quite the precarious situation." See how sophisticated you sound? And in a wine bar, no less. Now all you need to do is learn some wine taster speak like "Mmm, this is a little spicy" or, "Ooh, the tannins haven't mellowed yet" or, "I can taste peaches." You don't really have to know what those things mean; just say them and people will secretly be impressed by your vast knowledge of wine and your extravagant vernacular. You're welcome.
Next Week: Why gravity is overrated.
