Abandoned by My Best Friend

I am very unhappy these days. My closest friend has abandoned me in the last month or two. He used to email me incessantly, often many times a day. Particularly this fall, I thought our friendship was reaching greater intensity and meaning. His wife would even check in often and ask for my advise on certain matters critical to their family. In their time of need, they requested my financial assistance and I gave it willingly. Now, much silence, and only an occasional brief hello. What did I do to Barack Obama to deserve this treatment?

It was grand while it lasted. However, in reflection, it was a pretty one sided relationship. He never seemed available to sit down and meet with me for lunch, or to watch a ballgame. But during most of 2012 I was sure we would be best friends forever. He was pretty formal, always referring to me as Robert when he wrote, never the more familiar Rob, Robby, Bob or even Nuss. But I didn't mind, it was just his way I thought.

People often questioned our relationship. Many attacked him but I defended against these assaults with a great ferocity. I stayed up nights worried about his welfare, concerned that he might soon be unemployed. I challenged those bent on his undoing. I wrote often of the slings and arrows that he was forced to endure. My allegiance to my friend was virtually boundless.

My son was always skeptical when I told him I had gotten yet another note from Barack (I didn't have any nicknames for him either). He suggested that I was but a part of a massive mailing campaign and that we had not really formed a lasting bond. But I just dismissed his remarks as being made out of jealousy.

Maybe Barack never was that interested in me. He didn't ask about my back, or the state of my golf swing, or how my mom was feeling. He didn't invite me to play in one of his basketball games. We never spoke of going on vacation together, maybe just the guys. There was, in retrospect, not a great deal of personal intimacy.

These days, I mostly read about what he is doing or watch him on TV. He is pretty famous after all.  And he does have a lot on his plate. In just the past few weeks, he has had to deal with devastating floods, horrific violence and John Boehner. I guess it is no wonder that we haven't been able to chat.

I have a feeling though that he will come crawling back soon, begging forgiveness for his sudden departure from my life. And I am hopeful that in future years, around early 2015 I will develop a new best friend. Maybe even Hillary Clinton.