kenneth

i had this really awful algebra 2 teacher my sophomore year in high school. we used to argue everyday and he never actually taught me anything. i dreaded going to that class. everyday, 2nd period, just to listen to this guy try and make sense. in retrospect, i guess i should thank mr. walker. for if it weren't for the practically unbearable monotony that was that class i might not have ever met the most important person in my life.

he was never one to argue with mr. walker, he let me do all the bitching. in fact, he's never really been one to argue with anyone. and he pretty much always has let me do the bitching. fast forward to homecoming 2008, i was a junior, he was a senior and i was good friends with his girlfriend at the time. we all decided to keep the party going at his house. this was the first time that i partied with him. and let me tell you, he had the set up. a pool table, darts, beer pong table, good music, chill parents. it was the shit. i made very few shots on that beer pong table but the ones i did make, he never failed to celebrate with me (usually with some more beer). it was one of the happier times in my life, when i spent my weekends on fogarty and fifth. as that school year ended and he graduated and we started to see that life awaited us and that eventually we were going to need to grow up, we ignored it and kept letting the good times roll and the bud light flow. 

dynamics change as dynamics often do but he and i stayed constant. summer ended and time didn't slow down for me either and now it was my senior year. the group of friends i'd made through him were all starting college and i was on my own in those halls. he stayed constant. my weekends were still spent at fogarty and fifth in the "beer pong room" or smoking a black & mild by the pool or just watching music videos of beyonce in all her hot glory. the party atmosphere dwindled as the classes got younger but i was a regular at his house. by then i'd earned a good rapport with his familiy, practically becoming an honorary member. christmas break came and went and so did spring break. before i knew it i was getting my cap and gown and getting rained on at my own graduation. 

now things were going to change a lot. i was leaving. this whole bond i'd been building with him was about to change. it was about to become long distance. so before june had come and gone i was in gainesville making a life for myself in my new home as a gator. he and spoke most days and he continued to let me bitch about my roommates, my classes, the drive, the weather, the homesickness, until i ran out of things to bitch about. i made it through the summer this way and got back home in one piece with a big celebration awaiting me. one huge party for his sister, reminiscent of the 80's and junior year weekends and a four-day-cruise later and i was back at school, falling in and out of love with this new town at every turn. after three months of not returning home things had changed but my constant, remained constant, well sort of. now he was ready to leave fogarty and fifth. the first batch of friends had left shortly after his graduation, and then the second batch had left after mine. some had gone to college, others had joined the military but he had stayed behind. being a constant for not just me, but for all of his friends. over christmas break he told me that he wanted to join the navy. he told me that he was sick of not doing anything with his life. he told me he wanted to see the world. he told me he'd been thinking about it for a long time and that he was going to tell his parents soon. he told me not to be scared for him. he told me not to cry. he told me that we would of course be seeing each other but now the variables were changing. 

the calendars changed and before i knew it i was back off to school. as i was getting back into the swing of things with my third semester he was getting his life together, talking to his dad, his sisters, his nephew, his mom (that was the hardest one), recruiters, friends. he was telling everyone that he was going to be doing something with his life. we all couldn't be prouder. besides, there was nothing to worry about. boot camp wouldn't be for another 6 months at best, a year at very best. he went to the recruiters in early march to get his departure date, the date that would loom far off in the future right? 

Kenny leaves for boot camp on Tuesday. my constant will be unreachable by phone and internet for two whole months. i'm proud, of course i am. i'm scared for him. i'm excited for him. i'm going to miss seeing him because as much as he can try and convince me otherwise, i know that my constant is changing. i know that our bond is going to be tested. i'm going to miss him more than anything but i hope he's right. i hope that after these next two treacherous months things will  be virtually back to normal. 

   i  love you Kenneth. thanks for being my constant.