| Over a dozen years ago I had a best friend named | | | | like the one at AT&T. |
| Phillip. We both worked for the same company and | | | | I had an extra computer at my house and I thought |
| when we first met we could not stand each other. | | | | that if I sent it to Tony along with a programming |
| Our boss was making us work together on things | | | | package like Visual Studio that maybe it would |
| and over time we found out we had a lot of things | | | | motivate him to pursue something in computers. I |
| in common and for the next 3 years Phillip was my | | | | didn't even say anything to Tony and I just sent it |
| best friend. Whenever I needed someone to talk to | | | | after gift wrapping it. Ironically it was real close to |
| he was there and vice versa plus we would go | | | | Xmas when I did this. I asked for nothing in return |
| bowling together about once a week and we both | | | | from Tony but it would have been nice if he had |
| enjoyed SciFi shows like Star Trek. | | | | maybe said Thank You. |
| During this time I had left my job and started my | | | | When he got everything the next week instead of |
| own company. Phillip and I had made a mutual | | | | just saying thanks he complained about all the |
| agreement that if he became interested in a lady | | | | accessories he now needed to get. He also stated |
| that worked for me he would not pursue a | | | | that he preferred Intel CPU's as opposed to the ones |
| relationship with her as this might cause future | | | | by AMD. He never opened the Visual Studio but |
| problems Several years later Phillip did become | | | | instead sold it for a few hundred dollars. It's now |
| interested in a lady that worked for me and Phillip | | | | been about 4 years and I never hear from Tony any |
| took me aside and asked for permission to date this | | | | more. I haven't even gone back to my hometown to |
| lady. This caused a huge argument between Phillip | | | | visit in the last dozen years. |
| and I and our friendship almost completely | | | | Several months ago at Booksamillion there was this |
| disappeared because of this. | | | | lady that would serve me coffee at Joe Muggs. |
| About a year later I has some legal problems where I | | | | After several visits we started talking and I went out |
| could have really used a friend to talk to every once | | | | of my way to help this lady out along with her |
| and awhile and Phillip was nowhere to be found. I | | | | husband and kids. Just little things like creating a |
| tried to initiate our friendship about 10 years later but | | | | website for their part time business and I helped |
| the things we once had in common were no longer | | | | them with some minor research on the net. I had |
| there and Phillip had a new wife and was very much | | | | figured that maybe they would become friends with |
| into his religion. | | | | myself and my wife. In the end all this family was |
| When I was growing up there was this one kid Tony | | | | maybe interested in was just becoming casual with |
| who was my best friend. We both loved baseball, | | | | me and my wife. |
| the movies Raiders of the Lost Ark, Flash Gordon, | | | | Currently I have taken a part time job outside the |
| and Grease. He had gotten a computer back in 1976 | | | | house because I figured I would meet other people |
| and he taught me how to program it using Basic. He | | | | plus have some extra money. I am the oldest |
| could do so much with that computer and I had | | | | employee that this place has, everybody else is in |
| always figured that someday he would make a lot of | | | | their twenties or even younger. I have tried to |
| money creating computer applications. After high | | | | maintain contact with my half brothers but I am part |
| school we had both gone in separate directions. I did | | | | of my Dad's old family and very seldom do I even |
| not see him again until our 10 year reunion. | | | | hear from my Father. I am not an alcoholic but I |
| Tony was now one of those phone operators | | | | thought about joining a local Alcoholics Anonymous |
| working for AT&T plus he was married and this lady | | | | just so I could be amongst other people who might |
| was to put it as nice as possible very homely looking. | | | | even eventually become a friend. |
| I had 2 businesses back then, a retail computer store | | | | Over the many years of my life I have always tried |
| and a wholesale computer business. I was on top of | | | | to help others like other business people or people I |
| the world at that reunion because both businesses | | | | have just met somewhere . For some reason none |
| were doing phenomenal. Tony and I stayed in touch | | | | of these others are ever interested in maintaining a |
| via chat after the reunion and a couple of years later | | | | friendship. With everything that my wife and I have |
| AT&T was laying him off. I always thought that he | | | | going in our lives we don't have the time or the |
| should have gone into computers because he was so | | | | money to join things like a bowling league and neither |
| good at it but he was only looking for another job | | | | of us drink so we will not be going out to any clubs. |