Why Do I Bother?

Brendon over at SlackerManager.com just found my site. He’s just posted a great article about Starbucks that I’m sure you can identify with. Brendon and I grew up together in Newberg. We were good friends through grade school, junior high and high school, but somehow lost contact over the years. It’s always that way isn’t it?

I wanted to share a story about Brendon and me that I’m sure his readers would love to hear. We were in 6th grade together in Mrs. Terjeson’s class. Brendon and I were kind of a comedy team back then. At least we thought so. One time after recess was over Brendon and I sneaked back into the classroom ahead of everyone, including Mrs. Terjeson, and hid in the coat closet. I doubt that we had any plans beyond that, but it seemed to be the most hilarious thing we could think up on short notice.

After some time had passed (in my memory it was quite a while), Mrs. Terjeson finally came to put her coat away and upon opening the closet door she found Brendon and I standing there staring out at her blank faced. She was somewhat alarmed, but having experienced many of our antics in the past she remained cool.

“What are you two doing in there?” she asked.

Silence … blank stares … and my hands perched on top of my head, the backs of them together with my fingers pointing straight up and wiggling slightly (We were in 6th grade OK? This stuff is funny to 6th graders).

“Can’t you see?” Brendon asked, “He’s a Carrot.” (Good thinking Brendon.)

Another pause while we stared blankly ahead.

“In the wind,” I finished.

Now Brendon will have to help me with the story at this point, but in my memory I spent the rest of the day with my desk in the hall. Of course I could be confusing this with one of the other days I spent with my desk in the hall.

Good times. Good to hear from you again, old friend.

Tags: Friends, Memories by Jeffrey
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you are all going to enjoy this holiday as much as I am. Actually, I think the whole idea of Thanksgiving as a holiday is ludicrous and ironic considering how we are thanking God for allowing us to drive out the Native Americans from their homes so that we could have a peaceful life away from our oppressors. But I really do enjoy the fellowship with my family and friends so there is still joy in the day for me.

Tags: Family, Friends, Holidays, Thanksgiving by Jeffrey
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I just returned from dinner with Bryan at Chez Jose’s in Portland. Cassie (Bryan’s sister) and Dan (Bryan’s dad) showed up just before we left. What a nice surprise that was. Cassie is like my own sister and Dan is known to me as “dad”. I was thrilled to be able to enjoy spicy Mexican food and a couple margaritas with no painful consequences for my stomach and throat. These new pills are terrific, but that’s not what I wanted to share with you.

I wanted to share with you how wonderful it is to have such close and caring friends. Bryan has been my best friend for about 25 years now. I tell him all the time, but I don’t think he could possibly know how much he means to me. Bryan is the kind of guy who will drop everything to help you out. At my wedding when the power went out Bryan, my best man of course, was on the phone arranging generators and portable toilets (the church had an electric pump on the well) for all the guests. I remember another time a couple years ago when I was on the way to the airport with my wife and her friend and my car broke down. I called Bryan and limped the car over to his house where we transferred the luggage to his car and he drove the rest of the way. Two examples of the things he does for me over and over again.

Cassie is possibly the sweetest and most genuine person I know. She has the ability to look at you and tell you something from her heart and you feel as if she had been thinking all day about how to make you feel better. If the truth was known, maybe she had been thinking about you all day for just that reason. She always has time for the things that really matter, no matter how full her plate is. She is a beautiful woman inside and out, but I don’t think she always believes it. She should.

Dan is amazing himself. If you knew him you wouldn’t be surprised that his kids are as special as they are. He’s a rock, and I don’t mean the kind you have to sort out of your garden every year. I mean the kind that can’t be moved, that never changes, that you could build a home on. He doesn’t know it, but I credit him with much of the success I have today. Not financial success (although I wish I had learned a few things about that from him too), but the kind of success that you tally in your relationships, in the love you give and receive, and the peace you feel deep inside when you are certain you have done the right thing. He taught me so much about these things, I don’t think I have told him that.

These people and the rest of the Wieden family are my friends. They are my family. I am grateful for each of them and what they have done for me over the years. Apart from my wife, there are few who have given me as much joy.

Thank you!

Tags: Family, Friends by Jeffrey
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