I'm standing right next to you...

So, my trip to Portland was multi-faceted. It originally started as a long weekend meet-up with Long-Lost Library Friend (LLLF). And then it turned into a search for vegan food. And then a chance to see my Recently-Found Facebook Friend (RFFF). I've covered the food. Let's jump to the most emotional and surreal: RFFF.

I've already talked about how we found each other. And how surprised I was at how overwhelmed I was by emotion when I found him. We caught up by phone about a month ago and then we met Sunday afternoon. After some phone-tag, we decided to meet in front of the library. But see, this is the thing, I haven't seen RFFF since 1993. In 1993 he was a 20-year (or 21?) old long-haired hippie. He has a picture of him and his fiance on his Facebook page, but he was wearing sunglasses and he has a beard. To me, his two most recognizable features were always his eyes and his voice. So... in my mind he was still a 20-year old hippie.

So I stood on the steps of the library taking longer looks at anyone with a beard. Nope, didn't see him. Then my phone rings:

RFFF: I'm in front of the library. Where are you?
YL: In front of the library. Which library are you at? Is there more than one library?
RFFF: No... I'm... wait. I'm standing right next to you.

Seriously. Right next to me. And if he had passed me on the street I would never have recognized him. Until I got a look at his eyes and heard him speak. After my split-second shock of him looking like a grown up, there was a significant lack of squealing and crying (from me). Just lots of hugging. And then this:

RFFF: Should we get coffee? Or a drink?
YL: *looking at watch* It's after twelve noon, right? That means we can drink, right?
RFFF: Hell, yeah.

We spent something like three hours in a cafe that really was more of a lunch place than a bar and the waitress seemed confused that all we wanted was beer at noon on Sunday. And I hadn't eaten much. But I didn't care. I lost track of how many times I said, "I can't believe you are sitting across the table from me." I took a picture of him because I wanted proof he existed. And when I see it, even now, it makes me laugh. Because part of me still sees him as a 20-year old with long-hair. At least he is still a hippie. It's nice to see that some things are still right in the world.

There was lots of catching up: How we got where we are now. Job changes. Travel. Marriage. Divorce. Drama. Dodged bullets. We reminisced: good and bad. I laughed so hard I think I made a fool out of myself. I know I snorted a least once. I told him what happened to his crazy-ass ex-girlfriend after he left her (she was my roommate). And other things I won't mention because my mom reads this blog. I have a feeling I made an idiot out of myself. But, see, this is what I always liked about RFFF: I've always felt comfortable around him which means the very thin filter between my brain and mouth is completely non-existent.

So... I babbled like a drunk idiot. Why? Because after one and a half pints of IPA, I was totally drunk. At 2:00 on a Sunday afternoon. RFFF's reaction to my "Dude, I'm drunk" announcement? "That means it's been a good day." See, this is why we were friends back in the day. He also tried to tell me that IPAs will kick you in the ass. Maybe, but after not drinking for awhile, I've become a cheap drunk.

I can't put into words what the afternoon meant to me. I can't explain how happy I was to see him and to know he was happy. But I can say that even though I only knew him for two, maybe three years, I know now that I missed him. I seriously missed him. And I am not going to let another 15 years go by before I see him again.