Out The Woodwork

2004-03-11 4:41 a.m.
Damn, a whole mess of old friends coming out the woodwork. My friend AC hit me up out the blue a couple days before I left for my trip. I think he found me on friendster or something. Well, it turns out he�s been going to Columbia U (uptown baby) ever since we got out of HS. We�re gonna link for a drink next week, which is really dope.

Around the same time my old friend C hit me up (friendster as well). Now you want to talk about adorable!! Haven�t seen her in yeeeears. She denies the adorable thing now as a motivated and on point woman (would never doubt it), which is interesting, but I�m sure she�s still a lil cutie regardless of her intelligence and motivations. Hope to see her this summer, if she can get out of KC for a bit.

And then just today A hit me up. She�s in Afghanistan for a couple more months. She�s been there for almost a year now. Another person I haven�t talked to in about 6 years. I guess she got my info from AC.

Got to meet S�s 8 month old baby girl. The most beautiful girl I�ve ever seen. I fell in love instantly. S. is like a brother which makes her a niece. Just about brought a tear to my eye to hold her. Straight choked up.

Made a few new friends out of old ones in Chicago last week as well. Hung out with M for her birthday as I drunkenly promised I would when she visited L here in NY a few weeks back. I got G. a night job as a barback at a high profile piano bar, so I couldn�t take him. So I picked up his older sister R cuz I didn�t feel like goin solo (I�ve been a bit self conscious about my social skills lately). I�ve only chilled with R. once in the past which was cool, but for some reason we haven�t chilled since.

Scooped her up like �Come on, just a couple beers so I can show face! I know you have work tomorrow, we�ll be home early.� I meant it. I really did. And then before we hit the 2nd spot that night I offered to take her home. So it�s NOT my fault that she got home at 6am. It�s NOT my fault she got to work at 10 instead of 730. Sheeit, she�s older than ME, that�s on her. Felt bad anyways, so I took her out the next night too.

So M�s joint was fun. Talked to her boyfriend for a while about rippin shit on the decks, and we ended up sticking around a lil later than expected cuz all her friends broke out and her and R weren�t done dancing.

Met up with CT who is becoming a serious real estate mogul. Turns out that when I got everyone together last time I was in town SL ended up moving into CT�s vacant apartment downstairs. Got to see all of them for a bit. Ran a couple of my �change-the-world� ideas across CT and he approved. That�s 4 solid approvals from trusted sources. Now it�s a matter of finding more brains and making things happen. Hopefully within the next 10 years I�ll have written a few books and changed the way we communicate with each other COMPLETELY.

So I�m about 11 for 12 in the past 2 weeks. Of course most of them were old friends being rekindled. I never really let go of people. I mean, besides the fact that growing apart is just part of our nature as human beings, the majority of turnoffs we find between each other are based on temporary things. Insecurity, loneliness, discomfort, drunkenness, etc. I haven�t met up with a person more than twice that I didn�t know for the rest of my life, and I�m pretty proud of that fact.

I get insecure with new people because I�m really bad at first impressions. I�m a social chameleon, so my first impression is mostly taciturn (ahem). If it�s not I�m trying REALLY hard. My second impression is the testing and learning phase. And then over the next 2 or 3 meets I�m trying to win you over cuz I�ve probably insulted you or something. I�ve mentioned in the past that people tend to expect a LOT from me at first, and I can�t meet any expectations till the original hurdles have been overcome.

At the end of the day the only people that don�t stick around are the ones who don�t want to for whatever their reasons might be. Shit I�m always around, and I hold no grudges. Call me next week, next month or in 6 years and I�ll rush right over, buy you a drink and catch up. Nothing is more important to me than the people I know, and that�s worth life long commitment.

So, I�ve finally gotten my head straight. I�ve been breaking some things down trying to figure out where I need to be. I�ve got old friends back, and I�m struggling a bit on a new one (although I�m not entirely sure why, and I�m getting zero feedback) I got a couple new clients and a few old ones so I figure that by the end of spring I should be able to put about $6k together and change my ENTIRE wardrobe. I figured I�ll hit the ill shopping spots around the world for a couple weeks, and update my self a bit. Shit, I�m 25 - it�s about that time. I don�t need to look like I did 5 years ago anymore.

Oh, I just grabbed some shit by these cats Hilltop Hoods. Aussie hip hop group. Kinda remind me of back in 92 / 94. Been bumpin some Anthony Hamilton � solid soulful shit. And um� oh yeah, A. just put me on to Little Brother (they�re somewhere on the okayplayer site) who�s got some ill smooth shit. Pete Rock on production, so you know it�s tight. Oh shit.. A also pointed out the new Kanye video. A lil different from al lthe other shit out there. Brought back ol girl Stacey Dash, and Common got a cameo. A lil more refreshing than big asses in short shorts, furs, chains and played out producer cameos trying to be skaters.

Ok, I have 3 deadlines due by Friday night.

Be Easy.