Happy Birthday Bryan

Brittany had a wonderful idea.

I'd also like to send out a creative and heartfelt birthday wish to my pal Bryan.

I can't even remember my first impression of Bryan, but I bet it was filled with Dualism. I probably was instantly drawn to someone with so much confidence, yet repelled because that independence almost overshadowed my own.

The strange thing is that I have hardly any memories of doing school things with Bryan. We went through the same classes, had the same homework and study friends and yet my recollection of those times have him strangely absent.

Bryan is the person who makes me think. He challenges what I hold to be plain truth and makes me really understand what I believe. He makes you commit to what you think.

When I think of Bryan my mind immediately jumps from fond memory to fond memory. First, and I don't know why, but I think of that smile. That "I can conquer the world if I want to" smile. That "I bet I can at least get the number of any girl I want" smile. That "Wall street is mine for the taking" smile.

The second oldest memory I have of him is Fall Fling my senior year. He just walked up to me and we started dancing...With my boyfriend (Derek) standing right there. It was weird, but seemed so normal and innocent.

Third, I think of is the Havasu trip last year. The arrangement was that I was going to fly in to Vegas, he was going to rent a car in LA, drive over and pick me up from the airport. When I landed I called him and found out that he'd just left LA. I sat on that bench and waited for him to come get me. He pulled up in the "mid life crisis" (convertible Seabring) and we drove the whole way to Havasu with the wind rushing through our hair.

Also during that trip Bryan tried to tell me how to make hamburgers and I almost went ballistic.

Bryan reminds me of being strong, independent, verbose and funny. He reminds me of strange dates and even stranger propositions. He reminds me of the indomitable spirit of man. He reminds me of me. He reminds me of college. He reminds me of laughing and loving and missing the people I hold so dear.

Happy birthday pal.