Meeting up with an old friend
Yesterday, I met up with an old friend. Dave is part of my previous circle, and the only one that has made any effort to keep in touch. It’s been about a year since we have actually met face-to-face and I have to say that it was nice to reminisce about old times. But at the same time, it all seemed a little shallow.
I was beaming throughout the entire lunch, not because I was happy talking about the old gang, but because I didn’t have to deal with that crap anymore. Nothing had changed, in fact, it was worse.
We spent most of the 2 hours catching up on the latest news and gossip, but at the end of it all, I felt fortunate to have made the decisions I did. It’s funny that when you are part of the world of wage-slaves, consumerism, and debt, you don’t feel that there is anything out of whack. It’s not until I stepped out of that life-style that I was able to see it for what it was.
I was told, in confidence, that all my old friends thought I had some sort of breakdown or born-again religious experience. Although this angered me, I smiled and tried to explain what I was trying to accomplish. Dave sat there with this glazed, but polite, look on his face. I’m sure I lost him early on.
At the end of it all, he said: “Don’t take this the wrong way, but do you really want this lifestyle? Don’t you think it’s slightly hypocritical to have such a drastic change in attitude? After all, you were exactly like the rest of us at one time.” He then alluded to the fact that once I became bored with this lifestyle, I would just have to start all over again. I would have lost everything I worked so hard to achieve.
I assured him that I had everything I wanted and that I had no intention of returning to that lifestyle.
After lunch, Dave mentioned that he had a meeting with a client and had to leave. “We really need to do this more often,” he said. Something told me that this might be the last I would ever hear from him.
We shook hands and he rushed off to his meeting (briefcase in one hand, checking his blackberry with the other) and I took a leisurely stroll down the street, wondering what I should do with the rest of this fine October day.
Filed under: A new life
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Yeah, I hate to have to concur, but your feelings are most likely spot on. I’ve lost count of the number meetings that ended with me thinking,”Well, I’m certainly not going to hold my breath waiting for him/her to call/visit”. In fact, I visibly cringe when someone utters the phrases,”I’ll call you”, “We should get together sometime”, etc. Why people feel they have to throw that out there, I don’t understand. I’m more offended by obvious faked politeness and false offers than I would be if they simply didn’t bring the subject up at all or they were actually honest about it. I did, however, have a friend back in high school who was a bit creative about the whole issue…her way of telling me that she didn’t want to be friends anymore was to set me up with a guy who liked her, but she claimed not to like him until after we had started dating. So, they started cheating on me, but I didn’t know that until I saw his truck parked at her house. I confronted him, he told me everything except why she actually did it. I had to find that out from one of her friends. To this day, I have no idea why she just didn’t write a note, or just stop talking to me. I chalked it up to her being mental, which she was. Anyway, your friend had some nerve to label you a hypocrite….has he never heard of having a change of heart? People do change every now and then. I’ve found that I just can’t waste time on people who don’t get it.
The herd mentality is a strong force, many cannot free themselves and sometimes even those that do cannot withstand the social stigma associated with being an independent person. At least you’ll find out who your true friends are. Sometimes it’s almost easier to just spew some random BS about why you left then go through the “disciplining†of others.
I’ve read through your blog and find it pretty interesting. I find that I have similar mindsets that almost run parallel to yours. I’m disillusioned already and I’m about half your age. I say to myself this is what I have to look forward to….Cubiclism for the rest of my life. Although, granted if others actually enjoy their job then so be it.
I’m not even a fan of schooling, however I believe in education. It seems like schooling promotes blindly raging industriousness that is the cure to kill the spirit, passions, creativity, and boredom.
One thing I find hilarious is that people spew the “get a job and be a productive member of society†crap too much. Yeah, a majority of people become “productive citizens†yet become “unproductive individuals.â€
There is also a notion that having a job is virtuous in of itself.
Just my thoughts. Nice to see a blog like this, hope you stick with it. Good Luck.