End of an Era

Yesterday my main man T-Money boarded a plane to New Jersey for a new job. I’m happy for him as I am for all my friends who find success in their lives. But, for me this is particularly bittersweet moment. Him leaving officially ends my college era. I mean I knew that he was looking to leave Phoenix for about 6 months now. But, I didn't think he would do it before I got back. But, even from here it’s still like wow. I really didn't see myself coming back to Phoenix and him not being there. I've been kicking with him since Jr. year of college (well my second Jr. year). To others there it is a buddy, or an associate, or a co-worker leaving to me its family who is leaving. I haven’t regretted being out here one day except this past Sunday when he was having his going away party. I’ve been fortunate to see all my buddies off when they leave and this was the first time that I wasn’t able to do that. Who knows maybe he was the last one to leave.

Unlike most people I didn’t have lifelong friends (well my brother) from elementary school or neighborhood buddies. I didn’t get my first real friends until I went to college. And I cherish my friendships because I didn’t have many or any when I was coming up. I’ve always made sure my friends had a job or a place to stay. I like to make sure that my friends are taken care of they are my family, in my mind I don't make a distinction.

If you have been reading my blog you know before I left I asked my first 6 friends in life (Meechie Hustle, T-Dog, Mike Chedda, Spellmore, Kerseywater, and T-Money) to be my pallbearers in the event I didn’t make it back. It was important to me that these guys be the ones who do that. I did most of my dirt with these guys in life, it is only fitting that they be the ones to commit me to the dirt in death.

I was lucky that my some of my boys (T-Dog, T-Money, and Kerseywater) from college all got jobs at the same company I worked for. For us it was the endless summer, I mean we were still the same people, had the same attitudes, we didn’t have to grow up, we were making more money than we ever had in life, we lived in a resort town. It was great. If we weren’t at the grill at T-Dog’s house we were at the grill at T-Money’s house or we were stumbling out of club Rio. Anyone who has lived in Phoenix in the past decade knows the greatness that was Club Rio. It was a modern day shrine of Bacchus, you really couldn’t have a bad week once you decided to end it at Club Rio.

Then something happened, everyone started to grow up. They started turning in their Player’s Cards by choice. Everyone started getting married and having kids (not exactly in that order) and now it’s just me who has never been married or had kids. I’ve been living the college lifestyle for 12 years now and with Travis leaving that officially ends my run. Everyone has moved on, (Mike Chedda in Nashville, Spellmore to Louisville via a short stint in the Middle East, Meechie Hustle and T-Dog in Atlanta, Kerseywater in Michigan, and T-Money now in New Jersey) grown up and responsible on me. The funny thing is I’m the oldest of the group. I guess even Peter Pan has to check on his 401k.

I think I’m going to do a rogue’s gallery on these guys because they are the people that made me who I am plus I got so many stories. Who can forget when T-Money and Spellmore fell in love at the Blue Flame. Or when Kersywater became a project lead after his third week on the job. Or slangin’ summer sausage for cheese. Or even better who can forget the days of the Olympics in ’96 when we learned how to beat the system all good times.

At any rate congratulations T-Money on the come up. Once it warms up I’ll stop by to see how y’all kick it in Jersey. You know me I don’t mess with the cold weather.