Inspiration

You know, its easy sometimes to get bogged down in the little things and forget about all that's good with life. I'm as guilty as anyone for taking things for granted, and I realized this more than ever last Friday night. I went up to Alex's for what I thought was going to be a night of me assaulting my body with cheap booze and the inevitable fat sandwich. It turned out quite different and much for the better.
I finally got to meet Alex's friend Dan. I ever met Dan before, but Alex always told me many good things. The reason why I never met him sooner is about 8 months ago he was in a car accident and went through the window and landed about 50 feet away from the car.(italicized for those of you that are of the particulary dumb opinion that seatbelts don't save lives...although some of the doctors said if he had the belt on he would have died for certain. So...whatever :P). Long story short, he was in a coma for a bit, and doctors estimated a year or so before he would be back in shape. Well, as Alex told me many times, Dan is a fighter and would have none of that. Friday night he was out and about enjoying good times at Stuff Yer Face, The Golden Rail, Old Queens and finally...some frat I forget the name of. I mean, you know you're healed when you can manage to draw on the passed out drunk guy!
What really stands out in my mind was the reception he got from about 40 frat brothers. Up until now, I always assumed frat guys could do three things: fight, grope, and create a super-saturated mixture of koolaid and everclear using only their hands to mix. Well, when Dan walked in I saw the most amazing reception anyone as ever gotten, and that includes the arrival of Alex's cheese and broccoli boli a little earlier in the evening. The unity and mutual caring for Dan was staggering. He's a lucky guy. Someone is definitely up there is watching over him.
So I realized two things that night.
1) Alex is one of the best friends anyone can have. Seeing him stand by Dan throughout the whole ordeal is inspiring. I continue to learn lessons from him every day, whether it be on respect, relationships, the proper way to dip cheese fries in gravy, drinking, friendship, or giving a girl the look that makes her forget you're the one that caused that smell just 5 minutes earlier.
2) Who the hell am I to complain. Life is good, its a gift, and who am I to take what I've got for granted.

Although homework still sucks.
posted at 12:59 PM