Friendship, Coffee & Valuable Perspective

“So close, no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know….”

— Nothing Else Matters by Metallica

This morning’s breakfast (some hot dosa and coffee) was with a friend who has been fighting a false accusation in court for almost 5 years. During this time, his father, a tower of strength fell ill, requiring constant medical attention (still one of the bravest and kindest men I’ve met). He later passed away. But the courts don’t care do they? Watching him fight this single handedly over so many years and still retain his sense of optimism blows my mind. He deals with judges, lawyers and everyone in between as he fights 2 cases in 2 different states. The financial and emotional drain is unimaginable.

Today he recounted a situation in his office where his colleagues (out of genuine concern) asked him to fight for his promotion. In his mind though, this was a non issue, yet he realized that this seemed to a major priority / worry for most people he’s surrounded by. People tend to manipulate their words / actions / relationships and even values with the sole objective of climbing up the next rung in the ladder. Even those who say they’re different are betrayed by their actions.

My friend had to go through a traumatic experience to realize this, but I have been fortunate enough to learn this through him. If I retain the same narrow minded perspective about what truly matters in life, I will be doing a disservice to my brave friend!