Tradition, Memories and a Lot of Green Beer!

I only preserve traditions that bring joy, not traditions that keep people from it.
​Author Unknown 

Then and Now

by Skip Cohen

​It's Sunday, and as usual, I'm about to jump the tracks from topics like marketing and business. But unlike most Sundays, I woke up today knowing exactly what I wanted to write about - tradition and friendship. While I know I've shared the story in the past, it's too much fun not to share again.

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, and with it comes a tradition that kicked into gear over five decades ago! It was our freshman year at Miami University, and my good buddy, Rich, and I started drinking green beer at the Purity Bar at 7:00 am. Rich had this giant Viking-style pewter tankard we took to the bar. In a college town like Oxford, Ohio, there wasn't a whole to do, so we weren't alone celebrating. When a couple got up to dance, we'd grab part of their beer and fill the tankard.

By 11:00 am, friends from the dorm came to the bar and literally carried us back to our rooms. By midday, the two of us were "driving the porcelain bus."  We were both sick as dogs. It was the first time being drunk for both of us. I'm not condoning the stupidity of what we did, but looking back, it created a tradition I cherish.

And here's where that tradition comes into play. All these years, we still battle it out over who's the first to call the other on St. Patrick's Day. Every call is the same: we laugh about what we did, marvel over the abilities of our youth, and stay connected. While we still talk to each other every couple of months, St. Patrick's Day and the laughs we share border on being epic.

Like the quote above, our connection is about the tradition of joy and a friendship that's stayed intact regardless of where we both lived. 

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A best friend is a treasure chest of memories and laughter.
Unknown
A friend is one who overlooks your broken fence and admires the flowers in your garden.
Unknown

These are two quotes that say everything I want to share about great friendships, especially my good buddy, Rich. We've only seen each other a handful of times over all these years, but that's never changed the friendship, the laughs, or the joy. 

Wishing everybody a day ahead with time to enjoy your own traditions with great friends. You can never go back, and you can't live in the past, but a walk down Memory Lane with a good pal is meant to be savored.  Sometimes, especially today in a world that's gone upside down, a great memory becomes a point to cherish and much-needed stability.  

Don't forget to make a few new memories with those people most special to you. Today's special moments will become tomorrow's most loved trips back in time.

Happy Sunday or Monday if you're on the other side of the world. And to Rich - I'm determined to make it two years in a row when I beat you to the punch! Talk to you in the morning...early!!!