Wise Guys

by Constantine

As usual, I'm finding words of wisdom on the walls of the gas station restroom, so to speak. For some reason, this always happens to me. Everywhere I go, whether it be the art museum, Mcdonalds or a strip club-- somehow, some way, the only person in the room with a story worth hearing will come sit by me and yak my ear off.

It's like someone stuck a sign on my forehead that said-- deposit wisdom 'here'.

Here is what I've collected out in the field this week:

Daniel, with full lips and dreamy Piscean eyes told me that he is a nice guy. A nice guy who used to get upset when all his female friends in college would fall for the 'bad guys'. Not only fall for them, but actually seek them out. It used to make him mad until one day he found a comparison in the myth of Persephone and her kidnapping by Hades. "A young woman will intuitively seek out the worst heart break so that when she has recovered, she will be strong and wise," Daniel said. "It rounds out her character, and now we have the four seasons."

I told Daniel that I've met many men who closed off their hearts because of one bad heart break and were unable to open them back up. But oddly enough, I've met many women who have resilient hearts, and bounce back from romantic disappointments, stronger and richer each time. Do men and women have different hearts? One more rigid, one more pliable?

Then I met Rufus, a man who looked ten years younger than his real age, who removed his cap for me to see his glorious full head of hair. "You thought I was wearing this hat because I was going bald, didn't you?" he cackled at me. Rufus told me that when he was a boy, his papa sat him down and told him if he died with three real friends by his side, he could consider himself a rich man. "My papa was right. I've had people in my life for twenty years, thougth they were friends, but turned out to be acquaintances," Rufus said. "You just haven't had a big enough test of the friendship to prove whether or not they are really friends or not."

I told Rufus that ten years ago I met someone who explained the difference between acquaintances and 'heart friends' to me. he could count two to his name who were true 'heart friends'. I am pleased to be one of them, and feel rich beyond measure.

Wise guys, wise guys...

Now pardon me, but I must be on my way. Afterall there is a world full of good stories waiting for me to find.

| 04/28/07 | Commentary