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Adventures In Living With The Mythical |
| Thanksgiving is one of those truly underappreciated holidays. For some families, at least. For others, it's a time to set the ropes up, get the guys in the corner limbered up and ready. It's a time to ensure that everyone understands the three knock down rule, and to respect the ref at all times. At one point in my life, I was the guy who would not only start these kinds of festivities at a get-together, but I'd be the one who to throw the first metaphysical, and sometimes literal, punch. People who run from their hometown are always running from something. I, in a way, had been running from myself. It's a flight that took me halfway around the world and left me buried in the bottom of a liquor bottle waiting to drown. That's one of the things I'm truly thankful for. To have a roommate, a friend, a pack member, who not only can see through the cantankerous shenanigans, but give it right back to me. Who, with a joke, a poke, a turn of phrase, can pull a smile out of me. That snarling, walking, talking, overgrown child's nightmare has literally saved my life. For that, I'll be eternally grateful. Another thing I'm thankful for is my roommates. Zack, Kris, Sean. They're their own versions of crazy, it's true. But it's a version of crazy that we all need. A version that seems to lean on each other and, in some strange way, keep us all sane at the same time. After Zack's recent adventure, I've tried my best to show him that he's loved and appreciated around here. After all, it's not everyone who find an indie party game and get all of us together, screaming and shouting together. But, Zack is more than the video game guy. He's the guy who will come out with that strange hidden wisdom when we're all too stressed to see it. There was that time when Crash got really sick and Zack called the doc. There was also other times that I haven't talked about publicly before. When I was getting really into myself, walling myself off to the rest of the world, and Zack was the only one who sat me down and talked to me about it. We both discussed heavy things that day. I'm grateful for him doing it. Kris and Sean are the regular odd couple. Two guys who seem to be polar opposites, but when they get together, they begin zinging and riffing in their own colorful playful way. I swear they could put on a stage show. That is if Sean didn't get stage fright and Kris didn't, well, lash out in his own unique Kris manner. That is, I'm thankful for everyone in our makeshift pack. I'm thankful that I get to interact with each of them in our ways. Thankful to have everyone of them in my life. And I know they're thankful to have me as well. Thanksgiving this year was done a little different. Instead of sitting around our poor, neglected dining room table, we instead sat around the television and watched a movie. I did spend much of the day hiding in my room, watching old Thanksgiving specials from my childhood and being grumbly. There wasn't any one thing I could put my finger on then. But, I understand it now. I suppose Crash understood it better than me. Darn werewolf hearing, he could hear the grumbles I was giving myself in my room. I, for one, thought I was being quiet. So, I did jump a bit when Crash shoved the door open. He was in his human form (which he always is during Thanksgiving, unless he's called to an emergency call). He sat down on the bed next to me, and patted my shoulder. It was one of those strange situations that felt comfortable, yet foreign. I wanted the pat on the back, the bro hug as it where, but still I turned away, grumbling about "touchy, feely werewolves". "Look, Jason," he said, standing. "The past can't be re-written. So why keep planning for it? You're loved and appreciated here. Forget about yesterday. You're missing today." It wasn't exactly Shakespeare. But he had a point. It sunk in slowly as I was watching an old Garfield cartoon. It was then that I stepped out of the room and joined everyone else in what was going on. I didn't get a chance to say what I was thankful for yesterday. So, I'm doing it here. One of the things I learned a long time ago: If you want to apologize or be grateful to someone: don't wait. You don't know if you'll ever get the opportunity to do it again. So, guys, just know that I am thankful for you. I don't always show it, but it's true. Thank you for being you. |
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