Friend #39 - Mike
A friend from Hebrew class
During my second year of university, I took a beginner Hebrew class with the hopes of it being an easy A. I have great memories of the course, not necessarily because of the instruction but because enrolled with me were about five or six other students. One was my good friend from childhood, Adriana, and another was Mike.
As the story would have it, Mike’s sister is friends with my mom’s brother’s wife. My aunt.
Frankly, I thought it would be funny for the two of us to catch up as part of this project and we chatted months ago but I’m just getting around to writing about our chat.
Mike works as a software engineer and did most of his work from home pre-pandemic. “I thought it would be the same shit,” he says openly but admits that after a few months of being isolated at home, like many of us, he started to lose it.
“People go insane slowly and then all at once,” he jokes.
He’s implemented a concept called “touching grass,” the idea is that once a day, he must go outside.
Career-wise, Mike hopes to be able to build something valuable using his technological savvy. “I once heard that if you have feelings of negativity, you should turn your attention toward others,” he says.
Mike’s right. Volunteering or engaging in deep conversation with a new friend or someone we know brings us back to reality. It helps us feel less alone while the human connection benefits the other person—a win-win situation.
I’ve found the concept to be true with this project but my friend #23, Kirsten once reminded me that it’s important to be aware of how we feel because we can’t give from an empty cup. Sometimes we need time to recharge and take care of ourselves first.
“Do you think I’m a nice person?” I ask him.
“You’re very direct,” he says.
Mike met his best friend Dan 22 years ago. Their parents crossed paths in an English language learning class.
Mike and Dan go to the sauna together as a bonding activity and as children often enjoyed bowling.
I’m always fascinated by male friendship. I unfairly assumed that women built closer relationships with their friends but I don’t believe that to be true—male friendships are emotionally intimate.
I think of my father who from time to time I hear sitting on the loo conversing with his best friend on the phone. Perhaps it is a light-heartedness that enables fidelity.
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
—Walter Winchell
Internet Browsing