It happened on my way to the rest of my life

My friend Rocket was a prophet.

Back when I was a youthful lad no more than 17 I sat with my buddy Rocket on one of those surreal evenings pondering lives less lived and loves not so lost.

That night he gave me some words that will live with me until the day I die, and hopefully through this medium or the next, well after.

I was lamenting the latest in a string of relational mishaps of the romantic sort and general melancholy of misunderstanding that so many in my life at the time seemed to exhibit. I had recently discovered some particularly disturbing news about my family and had begun to walk a path previously blazed by some of the less than savory elements of my kin. In short, I was lonely and I felt like a bad guy.

Rocket listened as he always did and rather than providing the angst ridden condolences or anything stereotypical of the age he told me these two things:

"No matter where you go, no matter what you do, no matter who you become; you will always be who you are to your brothers. They look up to you and always will. You will always be the big brother to them. They are going to love you and respect you no matter what. That is what family is all about Simp. We can't choose 'em, but we don't turn them away either."

"Don't fret the lack of love Simp. The harder you look, the less the chance you will have of finding her. Hunting for a woman is not your style, man. That isn't who you are. Trust me, whoever she is, she is out there right now and she may not know it yet, but when you meet her she will know that you are the one. All you gotta do is sit tight and wait for it. One of these days she is gonna sneak up on you and take your world by storm and that is all there is going to be."

It's been well over ten years and I can honestly say that no two truer statements have ever escaped the mouth of a man so young. Rocket was wise beyond his years then, I can only imagine where he is now. Of all of my friends in that era Rocket never changed. I mean, sure, he changed as a person, but he never changed to me. I now go YEARS without seeing him but when I do, it's like no time has passed between us.

So now I am 30 and I think that I am just NOW beginning to understand what he was saying. Shit, I wish I had my head screwed on half as straight as he did back then. Where ever my friend Rocket is today I know he is successful and I can only hope that he has become a father by now. He was one of my biggest inspirations and I miss him dearly.

Rock, if you ever read this or get wind of this, I want you to know that you saved my life that night and holy shit am I glad you did. I am not sure, but I think she is getting closer and maybe; just maybe; has drawn a bead on me even now. I can feel it in the air. I just KNOW that the hunter is drawing closer to her prey and for the life of me I am not sure from which direction she is coming, but man, I cannot wait to be caught.

Thanks Rock. You are the only person that I think ever truly understood me back then. I am not sure why you were ever my friend. It always seemed so lopsided with me bitching all the time. You were one hell of a man then, and I can only imagine what you have become. Gold to you brother, gold to you.

Until the trap springs tight, I shall stay...

Son of Simp