Budum, Scourge and the Ambivalent Hipster

There they were, arrayed around the table at the Edina Fuddruckers - fond friends and co-workers from a life that has been gone for a while now. Back from the wilds of Portland were Budum the Harvest Sprite and my former protege, the Ambivalent Hipster. Also joining us was the Scourge, mellowed just a bit but still possessing a tongue like a lash.

We all worked at Bank of America, which is known for many things, but fun is not one of them. Still, here were some of the most fun people I've ever known. Budum the Harvest Sprite is the nom de guerre of my friend Paul, one of the nicest, most decent human beings I've ever known. Because he is so indefatigably happy-go-lucky, he tends to attract more good natured ribbing than any person might reasonably expect, but because he rarely takes offense, he generates more good will than just about anyone I know. He also married exceptionally well - his wife is a bright, sensible woman of great talent and compassion. A lot like my wife, then. Paul has managed to take his wonderful nature and his native intelligence and has built a fine career at B of A.

The Ambivalent Hipster is Aaron, a bright, inquisitive fellow who worked with me and for me at B of A before moving west with the bank. He ended up replacing me at the Bank and has done well. Aaron is still well short of 30 and has had to do a lot of growing up in the past few years. Like Budum and Mr. D, he is also a liberal arts type (Aaron is a St. Olaf man, while Paul's alma mater is Gustavus) and although he is significantly younger than me, we always got on well because we share a similar worldview and background. Because he is younger, he's still enamored of some things that he'll likely reject as he gets older (mopey hipster bands, leftism, affinity for the French) but he's the kind of guy who gives you hope for the future.

Then there's the Scourge - my friend Julie, who has as much native intelligence as anyone I've ever known. Julie doesn't have the high-priced university background, but she reads people and situations better than people with years of training and experience. Because she's so smart and has such a fine sense of humor and irony, she does not suffer fools gladly. Because she is still young, she will sometimes let fly with comments that she might regret later. But because she is so spot-on about things, she has less to regret than she might think.

We talked for a long time yesterday; reminiscing, talking about what we're doing. I explained at some length about my recent health travails. We worried together about another B of A friend, who has recently suffered tough times and is now seemingly hiding from the world. Eventually I had to leave, even though I didn't want to. There is great comfort spending time with good friends, especially those from a former life. I continue to value each of these friendships in ways that are difficult for me to articulate. But as the restaurant faded in my rear view mirror, I had to look ahead. Every damned day, that's the challenge.