Rantz: A friend asks Patrick to wait at bus stop while he pukes

A friend asked Patrick to wait at a Seattle bus stop while he goes to puke via a touching, complex, and hand-written note that reveals the true meaning of friendship this Thanksgiving season.

The note was written on a partially torn, wide ruled sheet pulled out of a yellow notebook in a thick, black marker. There wasn’t enough room for the full message, so the unidentified friend squished the end of his note at an awkward angle.

Patrick

I came down didn’t see you & I have to go puke real quick

Will be back

Wait for me

The message was simple yet thoughtful.

He didn’t have to write a note at all. He could have just left and returned post-puke and apologized for running late. But he chose to prolong the inevitable puking, likely starting to sweat like one does before the guttural purge, in order to send a personalized message to his dear friend Patrick. Imagine the close calls as the friend ran up to his nearby apartment or office building. I’m willing to bet he did not once regret risking an elevator puke, for the message to his friend Patrick was important.

Younger generations have eschewed the handwritten note for impersonal text messages filled with meaningless emojis and animated memes. Not this friend, though. He understands the importance of deep connections that can only be fostered with a pen (marker) and paper (torn-out notebook paper).

The note’s subtext is also complex.

The friend arrived before Patrick. But why? Was Patrick late and was this his friend passive-aggressively explaining he had been waiting? I refuse to believe that. The friend was early, hoping to prevent Patrick from waiting too long in the then-39-degree weather. Introspective thinking about friendship — how would you want to be treated — leads to long-lasting relationships.

The diction was carefully chosen, not wasting ink on punctuation. The note reads like a poem. That was undoubtedly intentional. This is someone who reflects before releasing his emotions in written form. Unlike a text, you can’t erase a bic marker.

When I came across this note last weekend, it was no accident. Fate guided me to this very bus stop and to this very note. I cannot stop thinking about it. It has overtaken my every thought, a naked obsession has engulfed my very being. I don’t have anyone like this friend in my life. If my friend was going to be late due to a morning purge, I wouldn’t know. I’d just wait there for him or her to finally arrive, wondering why they were late (and why I’m always early). I doubt they’d be upfront about their lateness, dismissing the inconvenience with a mere, “Sorry I’m late.”

This note represents all that is good and pure and right in a city filled with chaos, despair, and loneliness. I was put in front of this note for a reason. I am the chosen one.

This is a message to us all to be thankful for our friendships. And I’m honored and proud to be the vessel to spread this advice.

And to Patrick: Don’t take this friendship for granted. Though, something tells me you know how truly special your friend is.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Listen to the Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast. Follow @JasonRantz on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check back frequently for more news and analysis.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jasonrantz