Maintaining The Empire
My goal for Season 3 was to build an “Empire Of Friends.” This was originally my goal In Season 2, but Season 2 ended with Covid hitting America. Since Covid was still a major thing in Season 3, I was not able to achieve my goal, at least in the way I originally intended. In the season finale, I came to the realization, that I already had this “Empire Of Friends.”
Last month, Marshall, Kid, Granny, and I, went to see Hamilton. In the installment I wrote about that event (Wait For It), I mentioned how, my friend Greg, originally introduced me to the musical. Well, as I was writing the paragraph about Greg, I suddenly realized, that I had not seen him since his, and Temi's wedding, in June of 2021.
Okay, I say, “suddenly realized,” but that might be a slight exaggeration. See, at the wedding, I reconnected, with Greg's sister, Melody, and she has since introduced me to her boyfriend, Rob, and so I either hang out with one or both of them, from time to time. This is to say that Greg has come up in casual conversation before, and so I’ve been aware of how long it's been since I saw him… But when I was writing about him in this particular instance, it just hit me. I mean this is a guy who I love as a “brother” in the same way that I love the Andersons as my “sisters” and I haven't seen him since June of last year let alone talked to him…there's something wrong here!
As I was kind of freaking out about this, I had to tell myself a lot has changed for me since the wedding. I’ve gone through two breakups, started my job at New Story, and quit my job at Kroger. I've moved into an apartment and got a roommate…and all the drama that goes along with that. Greg has been pretty busy too. I read on Facebook that he graduated from Cornell in the spring and that he and Tami have since moved to Nashville so she can go to law school!
Our busy schedules have not been the only issue. Object permanence is the ability to know that something still exists when you're not looking at it. I don’t struggle with this ability more than the average person, except when it comes to texting. I will get a text and see it and think, I will reply in a few minutes, and then I’ll put my phone away and completely forget about it.
Last Tuesday, November 1st, was the night that Greg and I had scheduled our phone call for. We talked for about an hour and a half and caught up on each other's lives. During our conversation, Greg told me about how over the pandemic, to stay in contact, he and his Cornell friends, started playing games online together, and he asked me if I wanted to start joining them. I said yes so that we can continue to stay in contact.
I have a ton of friends. Honestly, it’s more friends than I thought was possible, back when I first got my autism diagnosis. But this situation taught me that I need to put more effort into maintaining “The Empire Friends.” Like yeah, my “sisters,” Marshall, Noah, Anna, and my family know that I suck at texting, and communicating when I'm not literally standing right next to them…but, I think I need to start reaching out more to everyone else!
Have a Greattastic Day and be safe
J. Mitchie Ulibarri
Before I end this installment, I just wanted to say congratulations to Noah for making it onto the first-ever blind soccer men’s national team! Never doubted you for a second man!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment