my friend, Arnold.

I want to write about my friend, Arnold*.

I met arnold when i was a freshman in college and within 24 hours of meeting him, i knew that he would be one of those people who would be in my life forever. We've been friends for 10 years and i truly consider him one of my absolute best friends. We have an uncanny chemistry and comfort with each other, that i don't think i have with any of my other relationships. What makes our friendship so special is that we are able to talk about literally ANYTHING, from the most mundane topics in our every day lives to the things happening in the world and we talk about these things with equal passion & vigor...as if they were the most interesting topics.
Arnold is one of those friends that i can go years without talking to, but then when i pick up the phone, it will be as if no time has passed between us. And it is such a wonderful thing
He is one of the most genuine people i have the pleasure of knowing. His effortless kindness can make you feel like you are the most special person in the world. He is the kind of person who will go above and beyond, consistently, for the people he cares about. I don't know anyone else who does this for the people in their lives. I don't even think i put in half the effort, arnold does, into making people feel special and loved and appreciated. I sometimes wonder why he does it all. Does he get some kind of gratification, whether instant or delayed, from treating people the way he treats them? Why is it that other people don't do as Arn does? I've even gone as far as wondering what are the kind of things or people he was exposed to as a child to make him move heaven and earth to make the people around him as happy as they can possibly be? because i'd like to raise my children like this. What makes Arnold different from other men is that he is attentive, careful and most of all, he is patient. I have never met anyone who is so willing to invest time into people he barely knows. When i say time, i mean taking the time out of his busy schedule to go the extra mile and do something completely out of the ordinary just to make sure that whoever he is dealing with at the time is happy. That is such a rare thing....everyone is always so busy and everyone always claims they don't have time but Arnie actually makes time for people. He rarely comes up with excuses. He listens and remembers the things that people say to him---also a rare trait. I barely remember what was said to me in the morning if asked in the afternoon lol.
I think one of the things that still surprises me most about arnold is the fact that he is a man. An African man at that. This sounds sexist and i am cringing while i type it but his behavior is atypical when you think about the makeup of a west african male. They are all socialized in the same way but Arnold, somehow, missed a class or two when he was young. It is no surprise to me that women adore him because of his attentiveness and the fact that he actually listens to what is being said

Now i know i've written all of this great stuff about arnold but he is no saint. He's a womanizer--for lack of a better word--to the nth degree. He loves women and does all the things that womanizers do to get women. The only difference is that he is a genuine womanizer....if that makes sense or if there is even such a thing. He's not an asshole about it lol. Like all humans, he has his flaws but he is such a great friend.

All in all, Arnold is a great friend. I feel so fortunate to know him and to have someone like him around


*arnold is obviously not his real name

x.o.x.o