An odd thought I had today regarding my friend Paul

So I've known Paul for...well, fuck. I guess somehow it's been a little over 12 years. I can't even begin to fathom that. Wow.

Okay, shocking-to-me start to this over with, we first met when I was the copy editor for Cityview Magazine. He was one of our feature writers, and I made a completely rookie, shithead move by deleting a jab he took at Bruce Springsteen from one of his stories. We got into a fantastic fight. My managing editor went so far as to warn me that Paul was most definitely not fucking around when he threatened me, but I was too brave/stupid to back down, and in a weird way I think Paul respected that...even if I was, admittedly, wrong.

Six months later, the staff at Cityview went off to start another magazine called "Cover." I was quickly ousted from that venture and went back to work at Cityview, this time under Paul, who had in the meantime become the new managing editor.

I learned a lot from Paul, both good and bad. For instance, I learned how to put on 20 pounds eating Beggar's Pizza every day for lunch. That was maybe not so good. But a handicapped person I saw today reminded me of one of the things I always admired him most for.

Paul made a handicapped person feel like a million bucks. It didn't matter if the person was fucked up beyond belief, if they were deaf, whatever it was...he would walk up to them, see how they were doing, compliment them on whatever they were doing, and it never came off as patronizing. Hell, the motherfucker knows sign language. No matter who it was, or what their affliction, Paul always made that person's day.

I know enough about myself that I don't have that effect on people. If I see a handicapped person, I tend to get weirded out by that reminder of what could've happened to me if my DNA or chromosones had gone just a few different ways.

I would love to be more like Paul in that respect, but...hell. That's just Paul. I don't think it's anything he necessarily learned, he's just kind of a natural entertainer like that. And maybe I bust his balls a lot, but his treatment of the handicapped is one thing that's incontrovertibly awesome about him.

...and yes, I know there are parallels between his treatment of handicapped people and his taking me under his wing as a young writer. Don't think that escapes me. Fuck you anyway. Jerks.

I'll see you around.