An Eye-Opening Letter From My Frenemy
And the Surprising Positive Impact It Has Had On My Writing
Dear Chip,
It’s your boy, Nate. I know this letter may come as a surprise because we haven’t talked in a long time, but I want to apologize about some things.
I’m going way back with this first apology. I want to apologize for our high school chemistry project. I remember it like it was yesterday, from the stale smell of the boxes of unused beakers to the one-size-fits-all plastic seats that left our butts numb. There was that wide grin that spread across your face and the sparkle in your eye as Mr. A. announced that he was giving us three weeks to finish the class project. You even looked at one of our classmates and said, “with this much time, I’m going to turn it in early.” But I quickly interjected. I told you there was no need to stress yourself out by turning it in early; we could take a couple of days to think about a plan of attack, then we could start working. But after that first week went by, we did nothing, and you got anxious. So I helped you understand that we still had ten more days and there was no need to rush. The next week you wanted to start, but we had a brutal wrestling practice, so I suggested we rest our bodies. The night before it was due, I remember that you began to get worried, but I assured you that people like us thrive under pressure. And I was partly right because we were under pressure, but sadly, we did not thrive. We got an “F” because we turned the project in late, and it was not complete.
Now, I know it was a long time ago, but I’m sorry you didn’t get to finish the project. I also want to thank you because I know that your parents were furious, but you blamed something else and didn’t tell them that I was the reason you kept putting it off.
I also want to apologize for the wedding video situation. I know how excited you were when you saw that the videographer emailed you and told you that your video was complete. The instructions were simple, log onto the website, download the video, and voila, visual memories saved. The whole process would take less than a minute. And best of all, the link would be available for three months. Naturally, you wanted to download it right away, but I reminded you how long three months were and how short a minute was. I mean, that’s what friends are for.
You did not want to take any chances this time, so you set a reminder on your phone. I remember the phone buzzing during the game, but I reminded you that you still had two months and that there was no rush, so you reset your alarm. The second time your reminder went off, you were so busy, and the last thing I wanted to do was stress you out with trying to download the video, so I told you to ignore the alarm. Everything was great. We were having the time of our lives until your wife asked you if you ever downloaded the video. I remember you running your fingers through your dreads and asking if three months had already passed. We walked over to the computer and held our breath as you logged on, went into your email, and clicked. I hoped and prayed that the link was still active, and to our surprise, it was. We pumped our fists in the air. But our joy quickly faded as you scrolled and scrolled and scrolled, and the video was not there. After not finding it, you made that dreadful call to the videographer. My stomach turned as he told you that the 90 days had passed and that the video was gone. I wanted to throw up. Your wife was angry, but you still didn’t blame me. You actually stood up for me that day, which meant a lot.
I’m writing this letter because our relationship has changed and I want it to go back to how it was. From the time that I can remember, we have always been together. We went to the same school, the same functions, and even played on the same sports teams. Even though I still consider us good friends, it hurts me to know that you might not feel the same way anymore. And I think I understand why. Once you started writing your book, I noticed that you had less time for me. I know that you think I was a bad influence on you, but I was just lonely and needed company. That is why I always convinced you to put things off. And to make matters worse, you started a “500 Words a Day” challenge, and now you act like I don’t even exist. But it is okay because, as I said before, we have known each other for a long time, and once you get tired of this writings stuff, we will start hanging out again.
Until then, my friend, I want to say I’m sorry for all of the times I have distracted you or caused you to put something off. I can’t wait until you are done with all of this writing so that we can start chillin’ again. And I want to let you know that I am always here if you need me because I ain’t goin’ nowhere.
