I had lunch with some old friends today. One of them was turning 30. It occurred to me that we all met in 8th grade, so we’ve known each other more than half our lives. It is amazing and strange how fast time passes and how much people can stay the same. We have drifted apart over the years. It happens. It was still good to see my old crew. One piece of the puzzle was definitely missing. It was Lefty. We were the Gruesome Foursome back in the day. Unfortunately, Lefty died in a hit and run while crossing the street in Berkeley almost 8 years ago to the day. We had not talked through most of college, but going to his funeral felt so final and so real. It was a strange time, because I was about to graduate college and head out into the world and there was John dead from something so senseless. I think it gave every one of us at the funeral a sense that we are not going to life forever.

Perhaps I would have never talked with John again anyway. Now I’ll never know. What I do know is that the most precious thing you can have in life is a friend. Good friendships overcome distance, both geographically and emotionally. Amazingly enough the people who knew you when you were a child will always know the real you. When you strip away the posturing and the self-defenses we all have as adults, there's still a fragile teenager trying to figure out who he wants to be. Your friends from that time will always know who you really are.

Somehow, when I got in the car and Keane came on it seemed fitting. No matter who you choose to spend your life with or how close you are to your family or coworkers, there will always be a chapter of your early life that few people know and even fewer understand.

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on..
And if you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?