I like to think of myself as a good judge of character. I don’t surround myself with bad people, or people who need to be convinced that morality, openness, honesty, and empathy are good things to have in their package of humanity. I don’t have people in my circle who stress me out, or make me question their intelligence, or cause me to make decisions that impugn my own morals and what I believe is right and important.

While I am thankful for all that, for having these people being comfortable parts of my life in the abstract, I am also very happy when it’s not so abstract.

In the past month alone:

-I bought two tickets to the Kendrick/SZA tour stop in Chicago, and my wife couldn’t go, and I knew who to call. A good friend of mine, as deep in the music as I am, was my first call. We had an absolute great time, and there’s a special kind of circumstance to have someone in mind when things happen.

-I was invited to dinner with another friend, and we ended up eating at a tapas spot. While we sat and talked and drank and people watched, she came up with a thought that became an essay that she sent to the New York Times and, well, it got published. In it, I am mentioned, so I can say that, in a small way, I made the New York Times.

-I’ve mentioned that I enjoy my back porch, and sit there whenever I can. What is amazing to me, and wholly appreciated, is when friends come by and share that space with us. Easy conversation, loud laughs, drinks and cigars and music. It is the kind of thing that makes great memories, and to have a roster of people who’ve come over and who wants to come over is a blessing.

-Some time ago, I went down a rabbit hole and found the existence of Carolina Gold rice, a historic foodstuff that was said to be a foundation of the antebellum era. I talked in mixed company about such, and, unbidden, someone sent me some! I cooked it the old way and loved it; you can do it like a risotto or bake it with salt and pepper. Just me going off on a tangent was enough to inspire this friend to investigate it for herself and decide that I should have some.

Friends are blessings.