I Miss My Friend (1247 hits)
Category: NewsRating: 1.75 on 20 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by HerdofWookies (View user info) at 2004-12-09 10:04:08 EST
I miss my friend.
I met him 12 years ago when he moved to my hometown to work on his master's degree at St. John's. We had both taken roofing jobs with the same contractor to help pay our way through school. Unfortunately for both our boss and many homeowners, most of our time was spent sitting on dormers, smoking weed and enjoying the scenery.
A couple of years on, after we had both finished school, I helped him move up north to Baltimore when he got his first reporting job. I didn't see him as often then, but I made the trip into the city every Sunday for bong-hits with the Simpsons, and a couple times a month we made it out to a bar or a club to check out a band.
Two years later I found myself helping him move to Philadelphia. Reporters are often transient types, and my friend was no exception. Our visits became much more infrequent, but I still managed to see him from time to time when our schedules allowed. Philly is a nice place to visit, and in addition to the lure of friendship there was always the prospect of hitting JFK or LOVE park, or checking out the oddities at the Mutter Museum after walking around the city for a while.
I was elated when, just over a year later, I was again helping my friend move. This time south, and considerably closer to where I was living, to DC. Our Sunday visits resumed, and many a drunken night was spent at the Black Cat and the Raven. Good times, to say the least.
It wasn't long, however, before his travels became more far-flung as he worked his way up through the somewhat daunting pecking order reporters are often subjected to. After covering Congress for a period, it was to the amazement of both us when he was given seniority in all assignments related to "International Organized Crime and Terrorism"--such is the designation in his credentials. He became the proverbial globetrotter.
My friend left for Iraq just after the U.S. invaded. For a while, I received weekly or biweekly e-mails, and even the occasional phone call. They were invariably brief; neither one of us was big on talking if it wasn't face-to-face. But his communiques were enough to let me know he was still safe and sound. Still alive.
Six months or so ago, my friend went silent. Off the radar, so to speak. I wasn't sure where he was, and certainly had no idea how to get a hold of him. I started googling his name, looking for recent news reports with his byline, which served as my only connection to him--my only gleaning that he was still alive. It brought me a small measure of comfort. But I continued to worry a lot about him, and he was often in my thoughts.
And so it was with great joy when, after months of hearing nothing, I received one of his trademark succint messages:
yo
how is the situation at home? no excuses...email is critical.
anyway, living in beirut where it is safe and supernice.
haven't been in iraq since late sept. trying to stay out of for obvious
reasons. did cover arafat's death down south. you can
see my photo work on my agency website; see
www.worldpicturenews.com to find my shit from a
few weeks ago...
should be back in the states around the end of january.
rock-n-roll, negro
I miss you my friend. Make it home soon. Make it home safe.
User Reviews
Submitted by earth_collapse (user info) at 2009-11-20 15:20:42 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
This was really moving. And it is true?
Submitted by Stabkill (user info) at 2006-01-04 15:42:41 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
You are a pussy. What is this? Does someone you know going over to the middle east make you a delta-force ranger? Fuck you.
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-09-21 11:39:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2005-05-13 12:06:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
http://www.ubersite.com/m/66233#1323516
thank you for this.
is your friend home safe yet?
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2004-12-30 15:30:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
It's good to read something that's warm.
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2004-12-17 08:35:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
AhHaHaHaHaHa! God I love charity.
Submitted by WookieSuave (user info) at 2004-12-16 14:23:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
AUTO +2
Wookiee's Unite!
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2004-12-10 10:11:45 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Damn I'm a burner. That's supposed to be FDR park, not JFK. What the hell... (sigh)
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2004-12-09 14:13:23 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
whataefag: Man, I hope The Raven hasn't closed...but I guess it's totally possible. It's been a while since I've made it up there. It is(was) a total dive, a real hole-in-the-wall type place in Mt. Pleasant, right on Mt. Pleasant Street actually. But it attracted a really cool mix of people, the whole gamut, and was(is) a great place to grab some drinks and nicely tie one on.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=entertainment/profile&id=800518&typeId=5
Submitted by whataefag (user info) at 2004-12-09 14:00:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
There are several reporters from my company MIA as well, at least as far as personal contact goes. Sorry to hear you've lost touch, but the good news is that you'll be back in touch before you know it.
The Raven? Must've closed. Eh?
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2004-12-09 12:07:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2004-12-09 11:54:48 (#)
Ranking: 2
i assume you're a girl - if so, you need to tell your friend you're in love with him.
if i'm wrong, and you're a guy, thats just a regular friend, of the best variety.
---------------------------------------
HaHa, I'm a guy. Married at that.
But I was actually expecting a lot of "-2, Fag" as reviews.
Submitted by AwesomeJohnson (user info) at 2004-12-09 12:03:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by DeathJester (user info) at 2004-12-09 10:47:16 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by MickGinny (user info) at 2004-12-09 10:23:28 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-12-09 10:17:17 (#)
Ranking: 2
Excellent salute to a friend. Right on.
Hope he gets back safe and sound!!!
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2004-12-09 11:54:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
i assume you're a girl - if so, you need to tell your friend you're in love with him.
if i'm wrong, and you're a guy, thats just a regular friend, of the best variety.
Submitted by BillsSBChamps (user info) at 2004-12-09 11:12:53 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Way to give props where props are due.
Submitted by TigerLilly (user info) at 2004-12-09 10:59:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Very nice.
Submitted by DeathJester (user info) at 2004-12-09 10:47:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by MickGinny (user info) at 2004-12-09 10:23:28 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-12-09 10:17:17 (#)
Ranking: 2
Excellent salute to a friend. Right on.
Hope he gets back safe and sound!!!
Submitted by MickGinny (user info) at 2004-12-09 10:23:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-12-09 10:17:17 (#)
Ranking: 2
Excellent salute to a friend. Right on.
Hope he gets back safe and sound!!!
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-12-09 10:17:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Excellent salute to a friend. Right on.
Hope he gets back safe and sound!!!
Submitted by Jeanneee (user info) at 2004-12-09 10:13:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I hope he comes back safe and soon.
Submitted by Stin (user info) at 2004-12-09 10:08:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
There's nothing like friends.
Keep appreciating them whilst they are here, because one day they will not be.