'We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet.

I love friendship. For whatever reason, guys are tepid to show emotion, platonic affection. (I never understood “nuh uh, can’t hug” but, a good ole' butt-slap compliments a job well done.)

I’ve noticed. These long term friendships normally sprout in childhood – where one is cast to sit in the desk next to your alphabetical mate. Could be a nod waking the hall.. a high five on the playground… a handshake moving on to Junior High……

“Good luck” as HS ends, friends scatter, ranging from: some ne’er to be seen again, to “we talk damn near every day.”

I enjoy watching, living, experiencing friendship. Friendships evoke smiles. Friendships – again- range from “oh crap, I can’t tell him/her what I really think” to, “you stupid asshole, why would you/did you do that?”

I kinda like the fact friends don’t give a hoot what ya’ wear.. how your hair looks.. if your shirt/blouse has wrinkles (or not)… how much money you make (or don’t make)…

“It’s more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like ‘What about lunch’ “ A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Friends – it might be weeks, months, years, decades since ya last got together – but the foreverness lends ease, comfort, instant-yesterday. (Spellcheck underlined foreverness, don’t give a rats, should be a word.)

I was moved yesterday at the softball field. (Wind was 30 MPH, did move me, but there was other stuff too)… I was moved because before the game, VERY longtime friends met infronta the dugout – one reached an arm out – the other, without saying “to hell with that, let’s hug” grabbed the dudes arm, pulled him into hug – and it spoke eons of the past. (Later, a friend farted on the bench, again, I was moved.)

“Friends come and go like the waves of the ocean.. but the true ones stay like an octopus on your face.”

Ya gotta be a friend to have a friend – lesson learned. It takes awhile sometimes to win friends – but ya never gotta influence (sell) one to be a true friend.

James Taylor tells us “You’ve got a friend.” Bill Withers reminds us “Lean on me.” Simon and Garfunkel legered “Bridge over troubled water.” Friend, all Bob Dylan really wanted to do.

I’ve found, as age comes, clicks go away. What one cared deeply about back-in-the-day (sports, music, popularity, debate, shop, hot rods, farming, yada yada) and – was primarily your turnstile(s) into friendship THEN – turns into “eh, who gives a rats about that stuff now”.. We’ve all, I’m certain, “sidestepped” what coulda been a good friend.

I enjoy watching the friendships on FB. Steady. Frequent. True. Loyal. Funny. Teasing. Sparked.

“Friends are the bacon bits in the salad bowl if life.” Anon

School. Recess. Weekends. Games. Summers. Car rides. Carnival rides. After the last day ever of school. Weddings. Parenting. Advice, prompted. Piggly Wiggly casual meets in the aisle. Phone calls. Emails. Texts. Funerals. The appreciation of friendship deeply appreciated.

“Never tell your friends, ‘I told you so’ – even when you did.” Wendy Jean Smith.

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” Albert Schweitzer

“We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet.
"Even longer,' Pooh answered.” Winnie the Pooh.

Enjoy your day……… friend.

Love, Victurd.

In your element……..

The Cambridge Dictionary tells us this means “to be happy because you are doing what you like or can do best.”

Facebook is a means to discover – simply by historic observation – what the “in your element” ilk is for kind souls.

Could be Jazz.. YEAHHHHHH.. Mebbe Nascar for some… Casting a line out.. Doting over grandbabies… Old chums, recanting tales/stories from the day when it was a little bit easier to get in and outta one’s car, and Lord knows it was easier to clip one's toenails back then..

There is no better observation than seeing one in their element. The Royals – back when ‘keep the line going’ was in vogue. Recently, a 24 year old rookie took to the mound at Kauffman Stadium.. his parents, siblings in the crowd.. tall, lanky… was awesome – 6+ innings, allowing just 2 hits, striking out 5 or so.. One Ned Yost came to the mound to congratulate – and switch pitchers.. crowd (in their element) on their feet yelling, cheering, whistling, yada.. Ned’s advice to the kid as he took the ball? “Walk slow, take it all in.” Ned knows ‘in the element’...

Getting on FB, seeing one from the past – immediate smile – reminder of in your element moments/days. Rounding the corner at the Piggly Wiggly to see a bud that you used to ride shotgun in their Chevy – yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.

I’ve been fortunate enough to attend some parties that were made up of high school classmates of my girlfriend. Her element. Her happiness. Her to die for smile. Her happily continuing forward whilst reliving ‘then’. Yum.

I’ve got another friend, that when she’s knelt down, eye to eye with whatever flavor canine – she’s there.. in her element. It’s a joy to see joy.

Might be the lake.. or up, out and about in their small aircraft.. on their Harley.. truck with camper in tow.. yum.. happy.. in their element.

Granny in the kitchen, the noise of pots/pans lessened by grandkids running around acting their age. Steam, smoke, YUM smell - in her element.

With all the stress of racial relations, political ‘tennis’, lacka money, jobs cut, loved ones lost – it’s so refreshing to see one in their element.

Tonight I will traverse to a small 9 hole golf course where I will pay good money to hit a brand new golf ball into the woods, to ne’er bee seen again. Tis ok, I’m there, in my element. I suck at it, but it’s sucking at it with smile. Oh, and invited is a buddy that back in the day was my best man – we’ve not visited much in recent years – but when the eyeballs meet – we’re hella in the element of remembrance of past jubilation, ballgames won/lost, kid raising/raised, beer cans emptied.. yum.

What’s your ‘in your element?’ When times get tough, struggle happens – we’re all afforded the opportunity to close our eyes – relive the ‘in our element’ past. We awaken, looking forward to future ‘in our element’ happenings, events. They can be predictable, unexpected, short lived, and forever and ever.

I love life. The element. And you. Happy day, Victurd