Starbucks Summit

Man, what a wonderful time I had with you at the Starbucks yesterday. Kicking back in those comfy chairs, no one within conversation distance, old ladies coming in thinking we owned the place... that was great. And like I said, I think it's really cool that we came upon Starbucks as a brick and mortar meeting place in convenient proximity.... as opposed to gathering up our wool jackets and briefcases and strutting over to Starbucks to exchange highly intellectual literary rhetoric.

The more we talk about shit, how we get down and dirty into the trials and tribulations of it all... I just floated out of there, bud. Really. I walked into our 8:00 all smiles and pumped up to be with good people.

I love how we laugh at each other... not really at each other, but at ourselves when we see the same struggle/passion/bafoonery in the guy sitting across the table. In many ways, we're like soldiers in the trenches, sharing war stories, strategies for staying alive, occasional tiny victories.

I love how deeply intense our conversations get when one of us is sharing a plot point, a struggle with conflict, an honest cry for help to pull out of the muck. And I appreciate how we listen to each other, and how it never feels like one of us is trying to one-up the other. Nothing to prove, nothing to win, fighting the battle together... that's some good shit, brother.

So... I'll now stop professing my love for you. Just know it's there. I've never had a writer friendship like this before... I've been close to others, but I've never clicked in so many ways and on so many levels like we have. Not trying to get into your pants, honestly... Just want you to know I appreciate our friendship and I'm happier than shit that the big Prick got a message from God to put us twose together.

I can see him sitting there in front of his TV, sitting up on the couch all of a sudden, punching the remote to turn off the TV.... clapping his right hand on the front of his right knee, preaching in the air with his left hand to a captive audience... "you know, I think I need to get them two pricks together... you're mother-fucking right I do... That prick Bill, and that other prick Steve... they need to get to know each other, you get what I'm saying here?"

So... talking about the Recovery RoCo (that has a cool ring to it)...

I love the idea of the AA guys accompanying him to meet the parents. Gawd that would make for a funny scene. And we're both having a lot of fun talking and writing about RTB. I guess a big part of me would be worried about the eleventh tradition, and of potentially making fun of the program, or maybe coming across that way even if our honest intentions were to build wonderfully funny characters who just happen to be in that environment.

But the "Eye of the Tiger" stuff... great visual... man, we could have fun with that.

I dunno, what are your thoughts about attraction rather than promotion, and anonymity at the level of press, radio, and film and all that? My reflex reaction is to think there is no way we should cross that line, even if it were done in anonymous ways... I just don't know.

I guess we can talk about it a lot more off line... kick around some more thoughts, figure out where we both stand...

Bottom line, though... it would be some funny shit... We could have a scene just like last night, when those two potentially lethal characters damn near made contact with each other, like pouring a big jug of vinegar into an open box of Arm and Hammer... and you looked over at me with those wide eyes and that little twelve-year-old grin of yours, two things on your face... one just an innocent "...hoh shit.... something funny's about to happen..." and the other a look of glee, knowing that by looking at me with that goofy face in that current hyper-kinetic situation, you'd probably get me going and that would make the whole situation that much more fun. Old J was sitting there next to you, holding back a grin as well. If one of us had let out just a tiny little snicker, it would have been all over... a laugh fest that would have set off fireworks in that little church room.