Carlton didn’t do Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or birthdays. But he did remember anniversaries. December 30 is the day he considered our anniversary. This makes it year 47.
We had a great run. And I’m still doing pretty well running along on my own. For that: thank you, Carlton.
He’s still part of my life. I do things like contest a $1.63 incorrect charge on my Asylum bill because he would absolutely expect me to. AA is still part of my life too. I don’t go to meetings anymore, but the principles are stuck in my head. Every time I see a penny on the ground, I have to pick it up. I figure he put it there to test me. Of course, pennies are becoming extinct. I may have to start picking up nickels. Inflation.
Here’s something else that remains true: I made Carlton’s life way more interesting. He had a very limited comfort zone, and I kicked him right out of it—big time. In return, he provided me with a degree of safety and security I would never have provided for myself. That comfort zone of his, which I did have to honor to some degree, continues to put boundaries around my own excesses.
We were a good team.
Still are.
A hui hou.