Three weeks ago, I paid a visit to my dermatologist. I had a nasty patch of dry skin above the right side of my lip, and I thought it might have been a fluke cold sore. Turns out it wasnt. According to my dermatologist, Dr. Brehnan, I've been exfoliating too much. Who knew, having baby-soft skin was too much of a good thing? Dr. Brehnan then tried to prescribe me some sort of topical cream, but I declined. The reason being, the receptionist behind the front counter was one of my mom's church friends and had access to the storage closet where they kept all the free samples. So after Dr. Brehnan wrote the prescription and left the room, I threw it away, and left the doctor's office with a bag full of free samples.
Later on that day, after running around town with errands, I found out Walgreens had called to inform me that my prescription had been filled and was ready for pick-up. Apparently, Dr. Brehnan saw the crumpled and tossed note he wrote me, and called to have my prescription filled. My mother, who heard the messages earlier that day, had gone to Walgreens, picked up my prescription, and billed me $30. Ugh...why couldnt Dr. Brehnan leave well enough alone?
I tried to come up with imaginative ways to get back at Dr. Brehnan for prescribing me $30 topical cream, when that money could have been put to better use. Like at the mall or something. But as my dry spot healed, I got bored with the idea and gave up on the whole revenge thing. That is, until this past Thursday.
As I was putting on my newly prescribed facial cream, UPS knocked on my door. It was a package. 20 packages, to be exact. 20 big, two-arm carrying packages filled with one-inch binders of information, on the acne medication, Isotretinoin. It was addressed to Dr. Brehnan, but it had my address. I tried to explain to the UPS guy, but he refused to take them back. He said I'd have to call UPS and place an order delivery. Was Dr. Brehnan trying to make money off of me? Was he still fuming over my dis to his prescription?
The next day, with 20 boxes of useless acne information stocked and stacked in my room, I went to school. I was in the computer lab, when Ivan approached me. He said, "Hey" and I said, "Hey," and before I knew it, Ivan and I were actually having a mature and adult conversation. He talked as if it was just another Friday. Did he forget about the verbal fight we had about growing up? The fight that was looming over us and staring at us right in the face the entire time we talked? Ivan then invited me to go with him to a comedy tour, Saturday night, hosted by BET. But I told him I wasnt sure, and left, confused and angry. Ivan, who had never been good with apologies, had said, in his own way, "I'm sorry." Ivan was able to forget, but I was unable to forgive. Was I being childish by holding a grudge that could possibly end a friendship?
I was convinced later on, by a few other friends, that maybe going to the comedy tour, wouldnt be such a bad idea. Maybe, after a night of black comedy about how all other races are so funny-looking and crazy, all would be well between me and Ivan.
MARIA: Just go, David. Go and have fun.
ME: I know, but dont you think it'll be weird? I mean, we're gonna be sitting next to each other, laughing the whole time.
MARIA: And what's weird about that?
ME: I dont know. It's just...I've never had an arguement with Ivan before. I mean, I dont think any of us have argued with Ivan. In fact, I didnt even know Ivan could argue. And now I'm gonna be hanging out with him? It's weird.
MARIA: Yeah. But, I mean...just go and have fun. You know Ivan. He's not big on words. And I think if he's inviting you to this thing, and he's gonna pay for it, then I think he's really sorry. It's his way of apologizing.
ME: I guess.
MARIA: The way I see it is that good friends support each other after something bad has happened. Great friends act as if nothing has happened.
Saturday night, I was at the Riverpark Inn, sitting in a double conference room, waiting for the night of 1000 laughs to begin. It was one of those cheap and seedy motels, reserved only for high school parties and hookers. I knew immeaditaely the comedy tour was not hosted by BET. It was in fact hosted by BETS - Black Entertainment Tour of Smiles. How's that for copyrighted infringement?
But nonetheless, the show was hilarious. The racist and politically incorrect comics had the entire audience gasping for air and rolling in the aisles. By the beginning of intermission, my cheeks were hurting from smiling so much and my throat was dry from all the gut-wrenching laughter. So, I went outside to find something to drink. Standing next to the broken soda machine was a man with a coffee/hotdog cart. And standing in front of the coffee/hotdog cart was my old middle school friend, Jennifer.
Back in the day, Jennifer was a straight-A student who had been involved with Model UN and Kiwanni's. But nowadays, the only thing Jennifer was involved in was a guy named Marcus, whom she had met at a New Years Eve party, the year prior. At the time, Marcus was out on probation, but soon found himself back in the big house after threatening a cop. Clearly, this man was a total catch.
JENNIFER: And, so anyways, this is our first official Valentine's.
ME: Oh. Well, congratualtions.
JENNIFER: Yeah. And this was his gift to me.
ME: What was?
JENNIFER: This. The BET-thing.
ME: Oh.
JENNIFER: What do you mean, "Oh?"
ME: Huh?
JENNIFER: What do you mean, "Oh?"
ME: Nothing.
JENNIFER: Please! David, I know your "Oh's." And this "Oh" is filled with disproval.
ME: No. It's nothing like that. It's just...well, you said you've been dating this guy, Marcus, for a year right?
JENNIFER: Right.
ME: And that technically this is your first Valentine's together, since he was in jail for the last one? Right?
JENNIFER: Yeah.
ME: So, in theory, he had a whole year to come up with the perfect Valentine's, and this is what he chose?
I didnt mean to imply Marcus had choosen poorly. I just thought that a year of togetherness should be celebrated with more pizazz than a $20 comedy tour ticket. And apparently so did Jennifer. She needed to hear, outloud, what the little voice in her head had been telling her about Marcus, for the past year.
Jennifer and Marcus spent the rest of the night arguing in the motel parking lot and missed part two of the comedy show. And because Jennifer had chosen not to listen to the little voice in her head that warned her about Marcus, she missed out on what could have been a meaningful and loving relationship. Ok, so maybe it was bordering delusional, but the point is, if Jennifer had talked to Marcus about the problems she was having, in the beginning, then maybe things between them could have been better.
It was then and there, right before Honey Rose's comedy routine, that I decided to forgive Ivan. I decided that holding a grudge against my friend wasnt something I wanted to invest time in. After all, wasnt it Ivan's rude remarks, that made me realize how not to give up on my dreams, but to keep on pursuing them, no matter how hard the obstacle? And if forgiving was in my near future, it meant there would be no room for revenge. Which means, I'll probably be at my dermatologist in the next hour or so, hand delivering the 20 big, two-arm carrying packages filled with one-inch binders of information, on the acne medication, Isotretinoin.
Later on that day, after running around town with errands, I found out Walgreens had called to inform me that my prescription had been filled and was ready for pick-up. Apparently, Dr. Brehnan saw the crumpled and tossed note he wrote me, and called to have my prescription filled. My mother, who heard the messages earlier that day, had gone to Walgreens, picked up my prescription, and billed me $30. Ugh...why couldnt Dr. Brehnan leave well enough alone?
I tried to come up with imaginative ways to get back at Dr. Brehnan for prescribing me $30 topical cream, when that money could have been put to better use. Like at the mall or something. But as my dry spot healed, I got bored with the idea and gave up on the whole revenge thing. That is, until this past Thursday.
As I was putting on my newly prescribed facial cream, UPS knocked on my door. It was a package. 20 packages, to be exact. 20 big, two-arm carrying packages filled with one-inch binders of information, on the acne medication, Isotretinoin. It was addressed to Dr. Brehnan, but it had my address. I tried to explain to the UPS guy, but he refused to take them back. He said I'd have to call UPS and place an order delivery. Was Dr. Brehnan trying to make money off of me? Was he still fuming over my dis to his prescription?
The next day, with 20 boxes of useless acne information stocked and stacked in my room, I went to school. I was in the computer lab, when Ivan approached me. He said, "Hey" and I said, "Hey," and before I knew it, Ivan and I were actually having a mature and adult conversation. He talked as if it was just another Friday. Did he forget about the verbal fight we had about growing up? The fight that was looming over us and staring at us right in the face the entire time we talked? Ivan then invited me to go with him to a comedy tour, Saturday night, hosted by BET. But I told him I wasnt sure, and left, confused and angry. Ivan, who had never been good with apologies, had said, in his own way, "I'm sorry." Ivan was able to forget, but I was unable to forgive. Was I being childish by holding a grudge that could possibly end a friendship?
I was convinced later on, by a few other friends, that maybe going to the comedy tour, wouldnt be such a bad idea. Maybe, after a night of black comedy about how all other races are so funny-looking and crazy, all would be well between me and Ivan.
MARIA: Just go, David. Go and have fun.
ME: I know, but dont you think it'll be weird? I mean, we're gonna be sitting next to each other, laughing the whole time.
MARIA: And what's weird about that?
ME: I dont know. It's just...I've never had an arguement with Ivan before. I mean, I dont think any of us have argued with Ivan. In fact, I didnt even know Ivan could argue. And now I'm gonna be hanging out with him? It's weird.
MARIA: Yeah. But, I mean...just go and have fun. You know Ivan. He's not big on words. And I think if he's inviting you to this thing, and he's gonna pay for it, then I think he's really sorry. It's his way of apologizing.
ME: I guess.
MARIA: The way I see it is that good friends support each other after something bad has happened. Great friends act as if nothing has happened.
Saturday night, I was at the Riverpark Inn, sitting in a double conference room, waiting for the night of 1000 laughs to begin. It was one of those cheap and seedy motels, reserved only for high school parties and hookers. I knew immeaditaely the comedy tour was not hosted by BET. It was in fact hosted by BETS - Black Entertainment Tour of Smiles. How's that for copyrighted infringement?
But nonetheless, the show was hilarious. The racist and politically incorrect comics had the entire audience gasping for air and rolling in the aisles. By the beginning of intermission, my cheeks were hurting from smiling so much and my throat was dry from all the gut-wrenching laughter. So, I went outside to find something to drink. Standing next to the broken soda machine was a man with a coffee/hotdog cart. And standing in front of the coffee/hotdog cart was my old middle school friend, Jennifer.
Back in the day, Jennifer was a straight-A student who had been involved with Model UN and Kiwanni's. But nowadays, the only thing Jennifer was involved in was a guy named Marcus, whom she had met at a New Years Eve party, the year prior. At the time, Marcus was out on probation, but soon found himself back in the big house after threatening a cop. Clearly, this man was a total catch.
JENNIFER: And, so anyways, this is our first official Valentine's.
ME: Oh. Well, congratualtions.
JENNIFER: Yeah. And this was his gift to me.
ME: What was?
JENNIFER: This. The BET-thing.
ME: Oh.
JENNIFER: What do you mean, "Oh?"
ME: Huh?
JENNIFER: What do you mean, "Oh?"
ME: Nothing.
JENNIFER: Please! David, I know your "Oh's." And this "Oh" is filled with disproval.
ME: No. It's nothing like that. It's just...well, you said you've been dating this guy, Marcus, for a year right?
JENNIFER: Right.
ME: And that technically this is your first Valentine's together, since he was in jail for the last one? Right?
JENNIFER: Yeah.
ME: So, in theory, he had a whole year to come up with the perfect Valentine's, and this is what he chose?
I didnt mean to imply Marcus had choosen poorly. I just thought that a year of togetherness should be celebrated with more pizazz than a $20 comedy tour ticket. And apparently so did Jennifer. She needed to hear, outloud, what the little voice in her head had been telling her about Marcus, for the past year.
Jennifer and Marcus spent the rest of the night arguing in the motel parking lot and missed part two of the comedy show. And because Jennifer had chosen not to listen to the little voice in her head that warned her about Marcus, she missed out on what could have been a meaningful and loving relationship. Ok, so maybe it was bordering delusional, but the point is, if Jennifer had talked to Marcus about the problems she was having, in the beginning, then maybe things between them could have been better.
It was then and there, right before Honey Rose's comedy routine, that I decided to forgive Ivan. I decided that holding a grudge against my friend wasnt something I wanted to invest time in. After all, wasnt it Ivan's rude remarks, that made me realize how not to give up on my dreams, but to keep on pursuing them, no matter how hard the obstacle? And if forgiving was in my near future, it meant there would be no room for revenge. Which means, I'll probably be at my dermatologist in the next hour or so, hand delivering the 20 big, two-arm carrying packages filled with one-inch binders of information, on the acne medication, Isotretinoin.
|