Bro Time
Making unexpected and meaningful memories
I got together with my uncle a couple of weeks ago. We haven’t spent very much time together for far too many years. We enjoyed eating lunch (some tasty hamburgers) and got to chatting about anything and everything.
He told me a story he hadn’t shared with me before. It was from when he was young enough to handle overnight road trips with a quick turn-around.
He and one of his best buddies became friends with some girls that lived quite a few hours away. They decided they wanted to go on a date with these girls and they all agreed to go to a drive-in double feature. My uncle and his friend took off in their car for the long drive with what amounted to a long-distance double-blind date.
They got there safely, picked up the girls, and went to the drive-in theater. It so happens that this was the large town by where I actually grew up so I was familiar with the drive-in he was telling me about. They were mostly excited about the girls rather than the movies. We all know what the preferred “entertainment” was at drive-in movie theaters… It’s the quality conversation, of course!
When the movies started, my uncle and his friend totally got sucked into the movies. The girls ended up falling asleep in the back seat and my uncle and his buddy watched the first movie “Paint Your Wagon”, and then the second movie, “Love Story”, started. They got sucked into that one too. The girls slept. The guys watched two love stories.
When the movies ended, the guys dropped their groggy dates off and drove back the many hours to their hometown.
What a bust! Or was it?
My uncle didn’t share the names of the girls with me. I am unsure if he remembered them. He did remember the names of the movies. He also remembered the storylines of both movies. He especially remembered the time he spent with his friend - unashamed that they were both drawn into a couple of love stories while their dates slept in the back seat.
Good friendships between men can surprise you like that. My uncle's “date” with his friend had some really good components for building friendships and making memories
Common Interests: Theirs first interest was girls even though it turned into something else.
Sense of Adventure: The girls were blind dates. The road trip to get them was long. The outcome was uncertain. The adventure was great!
Windshield Time: Staring out of a windshield while talking can make conversations between men a lot easier than sitting face-to-face. Some of the best conversations I have had with guys have been while looking out a windshield.
Be flexible: Girl-time was the goal. Bro-time was the outcome. What they got was two really good movies my uncle remembered for years and years to come. He also made a pretty special memory that lit up his eyes as he shared it.
Don’t be ashamed: If something appeals to the more sensitive side of you, go for it. I imagine my uncle trying to act uninterested in the movies at first and his friend doing the same. I wonder which one admitted they liked the movies first…
Take stock: My uncle remembered well. When you get surprised by unexpected gifts, tuck them away in your memory banks.
Developing deep and meaningful relationships doesn't have to be weird or over-planned. A road trip, mountain bike ride, four-wheel drive outing, or a cigar night could totally make a lasting memory that tightly binds a friendship and makes a really great memory. Being braver and stronger together always makes things better!
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