Things that have an end.

My guys worked hard through the hottest, busiest month of the year.  

July here was a hot, muggy month.  these guys work hard for their living.  What that means is that we went through a long month.  That combined with the fact that they like to have time off in the summer is a recipe for a lot of hard-working, very sweaty guys trying to make up for the guys who are off.  They went through more bottles of Gatorade than the dealership could supply them with.  And I was very thankful for the hard work at the end of last week.

Now, I'm likely to be the cheapest guy that you know.  But last week Friday, I reached into my wallet and bought the guys a bunch of dilly bars from Dairy Queen.  And at the end of the day, we all took a few minutes and had an ice cream treat.  And who knew a cherry dilly bar could taste so good. 

I really am going somewhere with this.  I promise. 

The problem with dilly bars is that every bit of them is good.  And they last a long time.  But sooner or later, they are gone.  They end.

This is true for an awful lot of things in life.  There are a ton of things that a person enjoys that sooner or later come to an end, sometimes even a screeching halt. I had a car like that once.  I also had a friend.

I met I.T. guy when I was about 18.  That is 17 years ago.  We were fast friends, and had a lot of similar interests.  We didn't really see eye to eye on a lot of things, but like any friendship, we got along, so we got around those things.  We worked on projects together, had great times hanging out, and later in life took turns pissing off each others wife.  And this went on for the better part of two decades.

After that amount of time you pretty much know a guy inside out and backwards.  You have been through it all together.  Think of the things that a person goes through between 18 and 35 years old.  There are a lot of firsts.

This is a guy that i had as a friend through first loves, high school graduation, college graduation (both of us)  Job issues.  race cars.  First time drunks. drag races. Children.  first homes.  you can imagine the rest of the list.  Absolutely endless.

It is like the worlds longest lasting dilly bar. Even if you get a cherry one it is still pretty good.

My friend and I had words about 6 months ago and haven't spoken since.  And I'm being held to blame, which I don't really deny the blame for.  And although Ive apologized, it was likely not soon enough. At the time i considered the biggest major issue to have been in good fun.  And I took his reaction as having been blown completely out of proportion.

But after that amount of time we started tonight through a text message to get to the bottom of things.  His take apparently is that we've grown apart.  We didn't hang out like we used to, our interests were different, our priorities.  So i get the idea he isn't interested anymore. I feel like a high school girl who just got dumped. I would like to apologize to every girl I have ever broken up with.

Now. I do want to say that my life is just fine without seeing the guy.  But we were friends for so damned long that it bugs me.  I do not find myself able to just say screw it and walk away after that amount of time. Apparently he can.   And yes, 6 months without speaking, but I have tried to make contact with the intent to patch it up during that time. 

And what amazes me about the situation, what really gets at my heart, is the time.  I cant begin to tell you how at the ready we always were for each other.  Say the word and the guy was there.  Me or him.  Can you help me with my car?  Want a beer?  Lets take a road trip.  Dude, help me with this.  Hey lets hang out on Saturday.  Feel like some golf?  Lets have a cookout this afternoon.   Those are the things that I'm going to miss.

I mean, I have a lot of friends.  I have a lot of really good friends.  I am really really blessed to have guys like the Iowan, Foose, Puller, The Legend, B-Money, The Professor, and a lot more, but I think I would be writing this about any of them in a similar situation.

And I also have a lot of friends that I haven't seen in years due to the natural progression of life.  I haven't seen the guys that I hung out with in high school in like five years.  Id like to, but there never seems to be time.  But this one.  This one hurts.  This isn't a guy I want to give up. But, like breaking up, he seems all too willing to do so. So I guess I don't have a choice.

So I guess this is going to be like my dilly bar Friday.  It was a big dilly bar, and damned it was good, but now all Ive got left is the stick at the end.

At the end........