Brush Your Teeth

I know I’m not alone when I say that some of my most intellectual thoughts come to me while I’m in the bathroom. Not necessarily on the toilet, just being in the space of a bathroom brings out the philosopher in me. Most recently I was reflecting on how old I am while brushing my teeth. Not necessarily how mature, rather just how much time has passed since all the things my dear friend Ben described in the last post.

            When I was little I use to dread brushing my teeth, and I don’t know why? It wasn’t painful there were no traumatic circumstances associated with it, I just didn’t want to do it. I don’t remember much from when I was little but I do remember having two toothbrushes. I had one electric toothbrush, not because I was lazy, no. This toothbrush served the very specific purpose of not brushing my teeth but naturally, brushing the wall of my bathroom. I figured out that putting this toothbrush against the wall would trick my parents into thinking I was actually brushing my teeth. Now, the second toothbrush was rarely used. In the event I actually decided one night I did want to brush my teeth, I saved this one so I wouldn’t have to use the wallbrush. (For some reason not brushing my teeth was sanitary but using the wallbrush was repulsive.)

            To this day it still puzzles me as to why I was so set against such a simple and purely beneficial action? I would plot all day. Contriving clever ways to avoid that horrendous act and stress if I couldn’t come up with something before the moment of truth that night came. Honestly, that was one of my biggest worries in my admittedly care free life up to that point.

            I somehow managed to make it through that phase of my life totally cavity free (if that’s not a miracle I don’t know what is.) It was funny to look back on myself and see how foolish I was but honestly, those long nights spent talking with Ben were no different. Ultimately none of it matters now, except for the relationship we created as a result. But it mattered to us in the moment. In fact nothing was more important. I would anticipate hearing his advice on the latest drama in my life. I always gave the absolute worst advice when we had our late night talks under the stars. Yet, we would all three come back just as anxious as the time before.

            So I as I stood there brushing my teeth years later, I look back on those late night talks, and think about a younger self pushing his toothbrush against the wall and think about how trivial it all was. How truly clueless about life I was. I think about the things I worry about now as I brush my teeth. How seemingly insurmountable they are. I’ve gotten older but my worries aren’t any less.  In fact, they are even more real. I worry now about the things that if I fail, can’t be fixed by a trip to the dentist. I’m not complaining about my life. I couldn’t begin to count all the amazing privileges I have or the infinite amount of people that have blessed me in even more infinite ways. I don’t have life all figured out. But what I have learned is that people are a lot stronger than they give themselves credit for. I know I’ll make it through my worries and so will Ben and so will all of you reading this. Life isn’t easy for anyone and honestly I can’t wait for the day when I look back and laugh at the problems I have now. Maybe I’ll even be brushing my teeth.

“There’s no point in going through all this crap if you’re not going to enjoy the ride.”

"Life's greatest tragedy is that we get old too fast and wise too late."

Two Dudes Blogging

Hey. Welcome to The Journeys of Wild Men. I would try to explain what this blog is going to be about, but I honestly have no idea what is going to happen. Which makes this whole thing so much more EXCITING. Here is a little background for those of you at home: 

My name is Ben. I will be co-authoring this blog with my friend John. John and I met in 8th grade at our christian middle school. We were in study hall together during 7th hour, which meant we sat in the same row during chapel. (Christian schools generally have chapel services at least once a week. This may seem weird to any of you at home who went to a public school, but I assure you that it is quite normal and not as horrible as it may sound.) During the praise and worship part of chapel, John and I used to dance, do hand motions, sing horribly loudly, and do whatever it is that socially undeveloped pubescent boys do during such things (use your imagination). We were on the fast track to friendship. 

As we moved into high school, our friendship grew even more. Although we each involved ourselves in a medley of different activities, our friendship stayed strong (probably due to the fact that our high school was relatively small and we shared a couple of the same classes). In fact, by senior year our choices in extra-circulars began to converge as we participated in school plays, student council, and men's varsity volleyball together. (Yes, our school had a volleyball team. Yes, John and I both were starters. Yes, we should have won state but choked in the semifinal. Yes, we are still bitter about that fact).  

Even outside of school we were friends. John, myself, and our good friend Levi were like the three amigos, only our friendship was better than that triad of Mexicans. The three of us would spend countless nights doing absolutely nothing. And then, once it got late enough, we would hop into Levi's truck and head up to his house in the mountains. Once there, we would gorge ourselves on whatever snacks we could rustle up from Levi's kitchen and then do what has become one of my favorite pastimes and fondest memories: sleep outside on Levi's deck. We did this year around, wind or calm, cold or hot, snow or rain or sleet or hail (it didn't really ever sleet or hail on us though). In under 5 minutes (even less if it was really cold) we could set up two sleeping pads, one giant sleeping bag, three personal sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, and even a tarp fort if need be. We were a fine tuned machine. And once we had settled in, we would stay up for hours staring at the stars and talking about life, girls, and whatever else would pop into our admittedly immature minds. It was amazing!

Now, however, John, Levi, and myself have drifted apart... literally. John goes to school in Arizona, Levi in Colorado, and I in Oklahoma. "But what about summers?" you may ask. Well, John's parents up and moved to Michigan the summer after he graduated. So although we talk still, it is not the same. 

And that's what this blog is about. It is about staying connected. For those wild boys that slept outside together have grown into wild men. And those wild men have taken very different journeys. But just because those journeys are different, it doesn't mean that we have to lose our friendship. You will see posts from me about my life. You will see posts from John about his life. You might even see us post in response to one another. Heck, we may even be able to get Levi into this (but I'm not promising anything). This blog is like the pants in that movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, except far more masculine. It will give you a look into our lives as we take a look into one another's. It may be funny, or heartfelt, or depressing, or boring. But, hey, that's life.