I’ve Got a New Set of Duracells

Since falling off the Happiness Project-Bucket List wagon I felt the need to talk to one of my sponsors.

Every time something like this happens you’ve gotta have a sponsor. They prevent stuff like drunk dialing, confirm facts like you’re not really crazy, and most importantly assure you of your warrior status so that you can get back on the wagon. They see you … they see you.

Normally I call my main man … my brother from another mother … my childhood friend who knew me during my Vans and Aquanet Hairspray days.   But my other sponsor happened to call me and seeing how she lived in the same city I thought it would be best to have a session in person. You know, over a pizza, a bottle of wine, and some chocolate.

The Movie Swingers: Mike and Trent

This four-hour escape proved to be the therapy I needed to pick myself up. She’s one of these people who you don’t see for a couple of weeks, but when you do, the conversation picks up just where it left off. No awkward pauses. No uncomfortable silences. Just laughter and trust.

She’s my Trent Walker … She is the person who tells me “You’re so money and you don’t even know it.” She reminds me of my mantra during personal crises and also reminds me that I’m not 40 yet, so I shouldn’t freak out if things aren’t quite falling into place. However if I’m 39 and still in the same situation she said she wouldn’t blame me if I panicked then.

She puts me through the  four-step program. She listens. She agrees. She advises. She knocks some sense into me. She doesn’t have a silver lining handbook, but she sure knows what to say and how to say it with such comfort and ease that the words are trusted. The feelings are trusted. The good intentions are there. The night usually ends in laughter and old stories from our newspaper days, back when I was a sports reporter and she was working the copy desk.

I left her place feeling like she had changed my batteries. I got a new set of Duracells and felt much better about falling off the wagon. Although the pesto pizza, red wine, and laughter definitely seemed to help. I don’t know what it is about good pizza that makes things better. In general good food makes things better, but good pizza seems to take it up a notch — sort of adding extra life to those batteries.

I’m glad I picked up the phone. She’s a good sponsor. She’s a good Trent Walker. She’s got plenty of batteries in reserve. I think she shops at Costco.