I had an epiphany walking down our pitch-dark
stairs one recent morning, 5:45 am.
Isn’t it strange when that happens?
Strange because it actually happens, anytime and anyplace, and because
the epiphany can be about the most random topic.
Here was mine, it flashed to me right when
I hit that bottom step: Why do I convince
myself to wait for a while before phoning a friend who is going through an
issue of some sort? How many times have
I thought, “I’ll call next week, he/she’s dealing with some stuff right now and
I don’t want to be a bother and intrude.”
Really?
That thought alone brings some hefty assumptions:
·
First
of all, why do I think my friend (insert family member, co-worker, or whoever
here) will think I’m such a nuisance? Am
I afraid the person’s going to pick up the phone and yell, “WHY ARE YOU
BOTHERING ME? ARE YOU HEARTLESS?!?!”
·
And
am I so all-important that my call, even just a short “Hey, how’re you doing?”
is going to thoroughly disrupt my friend’s ability to deal with whatever it is
they’re trying to address? Am I so afraid
the person will answer my call, “Well you just screwed up my entire life, but
thanks for the call, nimrod!”?
·
Why
do I presume my friend wants to handle the issue all alone? Will my friend-in-need tell me, “Can you call
me back later? I really want to endure
further suffering all by myself, especially without you or anyone else in the
entire universe.”?
·
Am
I such a pathetic loser that I truly won’t be of any help to my friend at
all? Am I certain the reply to my call
will be, “You really think you can help me….YOU?! Help ME?! Hahahahahahahahaha!”
As you can see, the assumptions are all
mine, and mostly about me. Not the
friend that I want to call, that I should call.
What kind of friend thinks it’s best to keep away from a friend when he
is struggling?
No more assumptions, from now on: I’M JUST GOING TO CALL. That was my epiphany.
And friends, the same goes for me: bother
me, please! And if I hang up on you, please
realize that it’s nothing personal. I’m
just going through some stuff. But
thanks for being my friend, nimrod.
(Additional
Note: I wrote this BLOG three days before
Robin Williams’ lifeless body was found after an apparent suicide. So sad, such a tragic loss. So full of Life.)
