My Pen In Hand

Dropping By, Part 5 of 5

Buddy hadn’t left. We had made it only as far as the living room. At least that was close to my front door.

“Do you still beat your head on your desk when you write? That’s so funny!” Buddy would know.

“I’m not yet willing to swear off my head banging. But with the web site, I hit the send button before I get too frustrated. I cut the stories and the dialog short, and write with incomplete thoughts. Confusion’s part of the sport.”

I didn’t tell Buddy about my rule. If I start a post, I post the post.

Sometimes, he’d undermine my rules for his own sport. For our comics with Rob, I demanded that he leave enough room for the story. I told him how much before he started. Still, he’d draw panels so that there wasn’t enough room, just to piss me off.

I wanted to get angry at Buddy. Buddy was better at anger. Instead, I’d just clip the text and make it work. I learned to edit as an accommodation.

“Tom, Dude, this is good.” That was the third time he called me “Dude.”

“Please don’t call me Dude.”

“Whatever,” he said. His more frequent response was, “Whatever, Dude.”

“Thanks.”

“The last time you talked about your writing, you complained about throwing up.”

“I didn’t bring up my writing,” I said.

“I’m just saying…”

I continued, “And that time didn’t last long.”

“I didn’t want to laugh, but you did make it seem so funny.”

“I managed,” I said. “I just kept writing.”

Buddy said, “Let me be serious for a moment.”

I’m the serious one, and Buddy usually reacts badly to serious.

“To you, the world looks better and the hours pass more brightly with a pen in hand. Your little notebook is your security blanket.”

“It’s just a tool.”

I keep a small note pad with me and jot notes. Buddy has tried to take it as a joke. I don’t think he ever has.

“I know,” Buddy continued. “Bright and easy is better than dark and difficult. Seriously, just write for yourself. It’s awesome.”

“Can I make a pen in hand joke?”

“Fuck you. I’m being serious. Also, if I’m going to tell you all this great stuff, you need to put it into your blog. And just so you know, a pen in hand is not worth more than two in the bush.”

——

Dropping By

Part 5: My Pen In Hand
Part 4: Hangings
Part 3: Hamstrung Ambrosia
Part 2: Breakfast With Dad
Part 1: This Is Too Much