It Is The Evening Of The Day, I Sit And Watch The Children Play, Doing Things I Used To Do, They Think Are New, I Sit And Watch, As Tears Go By

--"As Tears Go By (cover)", The Primitives

What are you talking about? I totally know what you mean. Look who you're talking to here, man. I invented the book on going overboard and taking a liking to whatever they're into. You might have done it with songs and music and whatever, but I took it to a whole new level when I did it, or do it, whatever the case may be.

Did I ever tell you the time I heard Erin talking in fourth grade about what her favorite restaurant was? Yeah, that Erin, the one who I totally schlebbed many years later at The Only Place In Town. Anyway, our fourth grade teacher was going up and down the aisles asking us what our favorite restaurant was. Mine? God, it was so long ago I can't even tell you what I was liking in those days. Maybe Fuji's. We went there a lot. Or maybe it was something totally stupid like Black Angus or Charley Brown's. I just remember I was who I still am. I liked the American stuff--the seafood, the steakhouses, the barbecues--way better than that Asian crap. I mean--I ate that shit everyday at home. Why in the hell would I want it when I went out? Basically, I think my palate has vastly improved since then. Anyway, it came around to Erin, this fucking adorable girl I had the biggest crush all throughout St. Rita's, and I remember her saying that her favorite restaurant at that time was Tokyo Lobby. I'd never heard of it before, but I remember jotting it down for later use.

Maybe. Yeah, that could be the only reason I would do something like that. I don't know what I expected. Maybe I wanted to casually stroll up to her and say, "good recommendation on the Tokyo Lobby. You have great taste in restaurants." I never said I was the smoothest operator on the switchboard. All I knew was that if she liked it then I was going to like it... somehow.

So I convinced my parents, the people that never before took a recommendation I made seriously, and we all drove down to Tokyo Lobby. Oh, it's down in Temple City, I think. It's right near that Kentucky Fried Chicken Buffet I took you to which, come to think of it, might have been my favorite restaurant at the time. You know me and those buffets. Shut the fuck up. I wasn't going to tell you about the time I spent seven hours in the buffet with Dan. My short-term memory does hold onto a few things and Lord knows I love telling that anecdote to everyone I meet. It's in a pretty decent shopping mall. I actually used to go there a lot after I started being able to drive, which is weird considering. Now I would never think of going to a Japanese place as my first choice to eat, but, back then, Tokyo Lobby was a pretty popular choice when I got stuck for a place to eat. Go figure. I think it's because I kind of "discovered" it and not my parents so I feel like I retain ownership of it somehow.

But that first time... no, she wasn't there. Holy fuck! That's the reason I wanted to check it out. It wasn't because I wanted to name drop it on her when I got back to class. It was fucking because I was hoping to bump into her one time. How incredibly stupid and pathetic is that? What's funny is that after a couple of times we got down to a schedule of going there every other month or so and one of those times I actually did bump into her there. Talk about going full circle. I start fucking going to the restaurant hoping to bump into her and then months later I do and it totally took me by surprise. Shut up. Sometimes I think it is true what you say. I do things for no really sane reason. I just go and then stuff works out. But you do it too, man. What the hell do you call deciding to hike to Atlanta? That isn't exactly sane either, little miss. But that worked out too, see?

Fuck. Why do people always think that they're the only ones to ever go through something? Yes, I am talking specifically about you. Shit, I've been in your shoes before. I know what that's like to suddenly take an interest in everything that person is interested in. But, as you get older, you'll see it's much cooler when you kind of get that person to become interested in what you like. Speaking of which, how awesome is that Initial Friend? Good stuff, huh? I told you you'd like it. I happen to know your taste better than you do.

Sometimes. I think sometimes I find it hard to believe that I'll never fall that hard for somebody again where I simply must know everything they like and like it too. It just doesn't hit me that hard, you know? Most of the time it's just tiring to compile the list and re-stock my library with a sampling of their favorites. Oh, don't even get me started on restaurants. Between my list of favorite places to eat and her favorite places to eat we never get to them all. The same goes with movies. There's only so many movies I can pretend to like of hers when all I really want to say is that "goddamn you have horrible taste in which you allow your eyes to see." I think I'm becoming a grumpy old man already. Shit, it's much easier to stick to my guns and let them like what they like of my choices than it is to take the time to get to know what they like.

Well, that's why they call it puppy love. Because when you're young like that you have no choice but to follow them stupidly around. You don't know any better. You have no control. They could tell you they like the sound of crickets sped up twenty-five times and you'd think it was the greatest collection of noise you'd ever laid ears on. It's the folly of youth. It's the folly of equating love as being of one mind as someone else.

Sure, it's nice to have common interests, but you can't force it, you know? Well, maybe you can. You still live to please and please to live. No, I'm not calling you spineless, but you are accommodating.

Yeah, that's true. You did open the doors to a lot of stuff I hadn't been exposed to before. And, yeah, part of the reason I gave a lot of stuff a chance was because I knew you liked it. But that's different. I always take my friends' recommendations. For the most part, I think you have good taste. Fucking no, I wasn't trying to impress you. Why would I need to impress you? I already know that's a lost cause.

No, don't give up on it yet. I think it's good that you take an interest in what he likes. I'm just saying I'm past that stage myself. That's why I mock it so much. I'm basically jealous that I'll never fall that hard again for somebody. Yeah, it saves a bit on the confusion and that shattering of hearts, but sometimes I feel like my heart's just disappeared. Sometimes I feel like I'll never fall in love for real again. Yeah, I kind of wade into it now. Test the waters first and then work my way down into the thick of it. Nope. No more cannonballs for me.

Sad, huh?

Yours Swimmingly,
mojo shivers