That's what friends are for

So I’m on my way to work and an old utility truck pulls up next to me.  You know the kind that the city or state buy with metal boxes down both sides of the bed so the workers can get to their tools easily and they can remain secure in the truck. It looks to be 20 years old or so.  I glance over and see my good friend who will remain nameless.  He looks a little rough this morning.  He has his leather jacket on and apparently closed tight.  His breath is coming out in great clouds of smoke.  Breathing hard and apparently a good air conditioner with the outside temperature in the 20s.  He doesn’t appear to have shaved but it might have been the condensation on his windows from his breath.  And the piece de resistance is that when I honk and he glances my way he has a tissue hanging out of one nostril. 

This is not his typical presentation.  Usually he has a nice looking professional car with the appropriate matching attire.  His car is comfortable and warm not requiring breath billows as he drives.  Needless to say he doesn’t usually have extra accoutrements of a tissue hanging out of his nostril either.  Who knows maybe it was “dress like a red-neck day at work” or maybe it is the time of year when the boss decides the raises at work and he wanted them to know he really needed it. 

I wave, he waves and we smile at each other and go on our way.  And, yes we are still friends. 

After all isn’t that what friends are for?  We may see each other when things don’t look right or maybe downright wrong, silly or strange!  But I know who he really is and not what he looked like today; so I can smile, he can smile and no explanation needed.