My five (Part 1)

For the end of the year, I'mma reflect on some of the lessons I've learned in '08.

People always wanna talk about going home, or not being able to go home. What's wrong with letting home come to you?

I found out at the end of this year that home can always come to you. It's not as simple as I make it sound...

My best friend came to visit for a week.

My best friend, Danielle, has intimidated me in many ways over the years. She, unlike me, never knew exactly what she wanted after college, but ended up doubling (and, at times, tripling) what I was bring home working my lifelong dream. She has had the flashy cars, the townhouse in the 'burbs, the money to spare.

But when it all came down to it, she was vulnerable -- just like me.

We had a conversation while she was here that made me realize we weren't drifting apart like I'd suspected. It was just that her problems and my problems were on different plateaus. I was worried about how I could afford a new SUV. She was worried how she'd be able to afford the new cost of her adjustable-rate mortgage.

She wasn't some brand new chick that spent money til there wasn't any more. She was just Danielle trying to survive a different hustle at the same time as me.

It took us a week to figure out that the differences we'd seen over the years still showed the same people we were when we became best friends more than a decade ago.

She called me Monday when I was coming home from work and we talked about the puppies and how terrible they were. It's the story of our lives these days.

"I'm kinda sad you're not coming home, boo," she said. I didn't expect it, but I knew where it was coming from. In a week's time, we learned all over again what made us who we were and why we bonded all those years ago.

And for that, I'll always be grateful.


Next: To play the game, or to just be yourself...
Then: Keeping in touch is good to do...
Plus: Why love won't count me out...
And: When all else fails...