Not Every day Is The Same

Old friends share bad news.

The other day I arrived at the gym at my usual Sunday afternoon time, saw the usual faces, spoke to several of the usual folks using my usual delay-the-workout tactics. One of those I nearly always at least greet and shake hands with was there and as we passed each other , I gave him the usual greeting and shook his hand. He held on to my hand which kind of spun me around and he asked how I was doing. We chatted , mostly small talk, longer than usual. We have know each other for years, even before the start of my twenty-five year stint at the gym, but most of our conversations, although numerous,  were short. Then I remembered the last talk we had and I asked him, "How are you Bro, how did your tests come out?"

"It's cancer!" he said.

I listened to him for about forty-five minutes without saying much, after which he stood, gripped my hand and said, "Thank you Bro," As he slowly walked away.

Things are not always the same....Things change.