Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Real Life Version of Jeapordy

Mark and I are sipping coffee at the Breakfast Club, talking to Franklin (who is brown), waiting on Dedra (who is late), and solving all of the problems in the lives of our friends. We figure out Dee's future; what Mitch should do; why Franklin should actually date younger women instead of cougars , and what happens if you put Republicans and Democrats together --- YOU GET CONGRESS! --- Let's separate those bastards!

Perhaps Mark and I will get around to sharing this information. For the moment are opting to keep it to ourselves.

In our real life version of Jeopardy, we've got the answers.

Eventually someone will have the questions.

Isn't it funny?

That's the way life is.

Things are often out of order.

Answers present themselves before any questions are asked.

Mark and I went to college together a thousand years ago. His wife Gyni was there with us. Dedra is older than the rest of us so she overlapped for a while. Mitch was Mark's roommate. Franklin (who is brown) wasn't born yet ... come to think of it, neither was the Breakfast Club.

We graduated and went our own ways and twenty more years slipped away.

Then God decreed from on high that Mark Zuckerberg be born and, either invent or steal the creation of Facebook so that Dedra, Mark, Mitch and I could all find one another again. We had been scattered to and fro on the face of ... Georgia. Summer before last we had a reunion at my house and realized that we are still as youthful, clever, funny and downright beautiful as we were in college.

And God looked over what She'd made and said, "It is good."

Since then, it's like we're all in college again without the unpleasant burden of actually attending class (thank you Judy O'Neill) ... come to think of it, Dedra, Mark and Mitch actually attended class in college while I made occasional appearances.

We all communicate daily and are heavily invested in each others lives. Last night, having dinner at A J's and Sarah and I were talking dates, Mark's ripped out his phone to put it on his calendar while Dedra rolled her eyes. Then Dedra fell asleep in her food. Just like when we were in college. Mitch wasn't with us so naturally he was talked about most.

"Then God looked down and decreed, Tybee Island needs a bass player, get thine ass down there more often."

The four of us looked towards the heavens listening to this ... Dedra had mayonnaise on her face ... then realized that God was talking to Mitch and not us. We promised to tell him. Once he gets around to asking the question. He's busy right now and his wife Linda is preparing taxes for other people from morning until night and you know how Caesar is about taxes.

But we've been struck by the things that have happened since summer before last. All four of our lives have been radically altered. Dedra now lives on Tybee and is unemployed (like half the island). Mitch left the Pharaohs of the Southern Baptist Convention and is wandering around the wilderness of Milledgeville, GA. Mark is going on interviews. Linda's doing other people's taxes. Gyni refuses to be associated with the rest of us and only sends private messages. And my whole world blew up!

Answers presented themselves way before we asked any questions.

But I think that the way that life really is.

The answers come first.

If we're smart, we get around to asking the question.

Then it all makes sense.