They appear and disappear... Remember yourself daily challenge, day 4

Do others tend to have those kind of friends that just kind of come up, stay for maybe a couple of years, and then everyone happens to go separate ways? A friendship that arises, lasts as it needs to, then organically falls apart, with no one really the sadder... just fond memories.

Today I remember Adam T and David M. They weren't my first friends, but still came up around the end of high school when it was really helpful to have people that liked me. I met Adam in school, and I met David working at walmart (we pushed carts together).

They were a pair of goofy individuals. I don't think we had a bit of shame between the three of us (embarrassment =/= shame, fyi). David and I would ride around the walmart parking lot blaring Vanilla Ice at top volume (he loved cars & sound systems), this being over 10 years after it was any sort of popular. We'd rock out to it while people looked at us like we were crazy. Adam was a shameless comedian and hitter-on-of-girls of any type. He and I got into trouble, starting fights and vandalizing things together. Now that I remember, he also liked cars. I didn't really ever get into that kind of thing (cars), though they brought me the closest I ever got to it.

We'd meet up and cruise around pointlessly listening to random or new music. We'd pull all nighters at David's house watching movies, even though we all had to work early the next morning. We'd chip in and buy a huge pack of crappy food cause we were all pretty broke.

One of those memories epitomizes our friendship.

We got off of work, and David's dad was gone (his dad was a real asshole, as I recall), so we decided to go do something. Screw early morning work, we could handle a no-sleep night. We bought a huge can of raviolis and David rented Blazing Saddles when he realized we'd never seen it. We drove the 45 or so minutes to his house, cooked this mass of ravioli in a big pot, and brought it into the bedroom. Then we sat around, watched the movie, listened to David play guitar, talked about stuff, made jokes, and shared ravioli out of that pot. We eventually passed out and slept an hour or two, then woke up almost late for work and sped away. I still remember navigating curly roads, masked in a mist of grogginess.

Words, descriptions even, can't really relay how awesome it was; I simply remember the feeling of the event that transcends its components- of how much fun I had.

We all went our separate ways. I haven't seen them in years, might not even recognize them. Adam stole a bunch of my tuition money and ran off, leaving me unable to continue college. David eventually went to work elsewhere, and our lives just separated. He was always the nicest guy though; if you called him needing help, he showed up. If he was at work or out with his girl or dinner with his dad... if you were a friend in need, he was there to help. Always respected that.

Sometimes I remember that night and wonder if they remember those times as well, through friendships faded and memories distant. People change and their old selves disappear; creating themselves anew. Memories change as well. What they remember may be much different than how I look back on it, after all.

People often appear when you need them, stay for a time, and leave when it is their time to go. We learn, grow, and move on.

Or at least we should.