Insomnia and Old Friends

Y'all, the 'chick has been thinking about friendship this morning. She usually does when she has a bout of insomnia and she's got one today.

When the 'chick wakes up at some ungodly hour, like 3 a.m., she's tired and edgy and bored and there is NOTHING on TV at that hour. Books are not acceptable because she winds up a little too involved (maybe due to the fatigue?) in all the emotional rollercoaster stuff going on. Instead, she starts thinking about her friends.

Who hasn't she heard from lately? Who is she playing phone tag with? Who is awake that she could call? (No one, usually.)

For some reason, insomnia makes her chatty - maybe just needing company to know that she's not the only person left in the world, sitting awake and wondering why.

Roadchick has a friend named Fileboy.

Fileboy used to work with the 'chick. He did the filing - see how sharp Roadchick and Fileboy are? His name is entirely appropriate. Fileboy had another job but he did the filing for some extra money.

When Roadchick started working there, Fileboy had already been there for awhile. The corner that was hers was directly adjacent to where Fileboy did his sorting and filing. Roadchick lived in a corner, surrounded by filing cabinets and a couple of skinny partitions that made up her "office" and enclosed her world. At first, the 'chick wasn't too sure about this set-up: very little privacy and no way to block out noise if she was needing to think something out.

She also wasn't too sure about Fileboy - not because there was anything wrong with him or he was putting out "danger" vibes, but just because. . . well, who knows why? Sometimes the 'chick can be a little awkward when meeting someone new, especially if she knows that she is going to wind up spending a great deal of time with that person. (Could that be why she's such a dating nightmare? No, but later on that.)

Slowly. . . slowly, the thaw set in and Fileboy and Roadchick found out that they shared a great deal besides a common wall of file cabinets. Their birthdays were only two days apart. Both Scorpios. Both with a sense of humor that could be as dark as it was wacky and silly. And both able to talk their heads off for 8 hours and not miss a beat.

During the first year, not that long after they met, their birthdays approached. Since their birthdays were only two days apart, it was decided that they would celebrate them together. This was fine with Fileboy and Roadchick.

On the appointed day, Fileboy and Roadchick were in a state of high anticipation. It was Birthday Day. Lunch! Cake! Funny Card(s)! Celebration!

Apparently, the rest of the office had not put quite the thought into the festivities as the 'chick and the 'boy had. Roadchick had already observed at least a birthday or two with the company and knew that some sort of lunch and a cake were the norm. And a card. At least.

Lunchtime approached.

Nothing was mentioned.

Fileboy and Roadchick conferred in whispers, wondering if a big surprise party was planned.

Well, no. There was nothing planned.

Someone else finally realized that whoops! there was a birthday that was supposed to be going on and spread the word.

Rockchick and Fileboy were asked if they'd brought lunch. Well, no, because they were under the impression that a lunch would be provided. Roadchick rummaged in her desk and found a can of soup. Fileboy went to Sonic and got a grilled cheese sandwich. A co-worker made a Kroger run and came back with a cake. And one candle. One candle for Fileboy and Roadchick to blow out together.

The frosting on that cake wound up being the cement that put the final touches on their friendship.

It's been the 'chick's experience that sometimes in life, people are lucky enough to find each other. Friendship can be another kind of soulmate - not the romantic, lovey dovey soulmate that most people dream of, but another, equally satisfying sort of soulmate. The person that you genuinely enjoy with the sense of humor that mirrors your own and the only demand placed upon you is to be present.

Roadchick and Fileboy went on to share some other adventures together before he got an offer on a job out of town and he took it. They've stayed in touch, postcards from him (always unique or quirky) and an occasional package of little things that each of them knew that the other would love. Roadchick sent him a box that had a pocket gnome in it and some other goodies that just said "Fileboy" to her. He sent an airline sized bottle of Skyy Orange Vodka that evidently said "Roadchick" to him. He brought her a swizzle stick from Mr. Pink in New York City.

It's been awhile since the 'chick has heard from Fileboy. Insomnia always seems to bring him to mind and although it was too early to call him and wake him up, it was not too early to sit down and write about a person that touched her life.

Who is the Fileboy in your life? Has it been awhile since you've talked to him or her? The 'chick is tossing out a challenge - get in touch with your Fileboy & let them know you're thinking of them.