You Instantly Knew

Have you ever met someone and you instantly knew you were going to be friends?

That's how it was with Scott.

The first time we met was at a Superbowl party at the Sigma Chi house. We had been briefly introduced at the club fair on campus a few days before but I was too busy recruiting girls into my sorority that I only was able to catch his name and the fact he was my friend Josh's little brother.

I said hi as I sat next to him on the couch. He said hi and then was silent. We both watched the game as I waited for him to say something to start a conversation. I waited in vain. He was silent and had a puzzled expression on his face. After realizing he wasn't going to start talking, I asked him why he looked so pensive. He turned to me and replied, "What?" I asked him again why he looked so pensive. He briefly paused before replying, "I don't know what that means," in the most deadpan unabashed kind of way.

I burst out laughing. I couldn't help it. His complete unembarrassed honesty caught me off guard and delighted me. As first impressions go, he couldn't have done better. Over the next few months, Scott & I developed a friendship that is still to this day one of the best I've ever had.

Unfortunately, one of the most efficient, effective, and destructive ways to end a friendship is to turn it into a doomed relationship. Our friendship-turned-relationship-ended in an explosive tempest of pain, betrayal, rage, and bitterness--whose effects I am still feeling.

But that's a story for another time.

Love you.
Mean it.