The Second Boy Friend

The second young man who I met would become one of my best friends by total coincidence.  At the time of our first meeting we were both presidents of student organizations, and our groups were stationed next to each other at the student org night.  I had gone under our table to stand behind the poster, and when I stood up, a very tall young man was staring at me – R.  We began a conversation about the merits of different places to stand for best advantage when talking to passers-by, followed by an exchange of contact information, a plan to discuss how our groups could work together, and so began our odd and wonderful friendship.

In that first year, we only got together a few times, but they were quite memorable including a road trip to attend a book-signing, a long walk around campus at midnight, and swapping of books.  I graduated a year before R did, so the only time I saw him that next year was at homecoming.  That meeting was slightly awkward because it was on a lunch out that I confessed I had feelings for him.  Nothing came of that confession because we figured out that since I was far away, it wouldn’t work, and so we just continued to be good friends.

We only saw each other one more time after that where we hung out for an entire day involving a massive hike, a long dinner, and game-playing.  In between all that other time, we have maintained a correspondence that, frankly, astounds me.  We write long missives that are newsy, humorous, and incisive.  And upon meeting up again for the first time in two years a month ago, we were able to pick right up where we left off because of all the writing we did, and because we have so much to talk about.

R is now a student again, but he is also a gifted writer, and a young man who is very generous with his time and enjoys volunteering his time and gifts.  He lives near where I work, and has a girlfriend that I’ve never met that is supposed to a) live near where I live, and b) be a very nice girl.  R and I probably have the closest friendship – the one where we can talk about anything.

~ by theboyfriends on September 29, 2008.