In life, people are faced with many challenges. You see people battling to overcome an addiction. You see students faced with exams over hard material that’ll never be useful in their life. For me? No. I had to overcome something more challenging—something that put me through excruciating pain. What is it you may ask? Well, I had to come to terms with the thought I was most afraid of. It all began one autumn morning. The air was filled with birds that made the sky appear to be blotched by black ink. The trees that once stood thriving and full of life, now loosing their foliage to the bandit of winter. It was midday, and there I lay sprawled out on the freshly-cut lawn of my best friend’s house. I look up to see my friend looking upon the horizon, staring with such intense and confusion that even the birds do not dare to get in his peripheral vision. “What are you thinking about, Danny?” I asked him filled with concern, rolling over and sitting up. “Nothing.” He said to the trees in the distance. “Oh come on, it’s got to be something. You’ve been sitting there for ten minutes just staring off into space. There’s got to be just one thought on your mind. Either that or you’re seeing something I’m not Mr. Sixth Sense.” I chuckled. “Ha, funny.” He replied sarcasm turning and looking down at me. He then took a seat beside me. “It’s nothing, really. Someone just asked me something, just as a thought and question to them, but it really stuck with me.” “Okay, now you really got to spill.” I laughed. “What was the question that provoked you so much that it’s practically ruining your life?” “It’s not ruining my life—” “Well your depression is starting to rub off onto me.” I interrupted. “For real though, what was the question?” He looked down and sighed, picking at the grass next to him. He turned to me, “You know, we’ve been friends for years—“ “Best friends,” I chimed in. “Yes, best friends,” he laughed. “You’re one of the most talented people I know. You have one of the best personalities and you can tackle almost anything thrown your way.” He paused. “Okay... so what are you trying to say? If it’s something bad, stop trying to sugar coat it. You know I hate that. Just go ahead and rip off the bandaid.” I told him. I was beginning to grow anxious of what was to be said next, thinking ‘what did I do wrong?’ “No, no, no!” He exclaimed. “It’s nothing bad.” He sighed and turned to look me in the eye. “Look, someone asked me today, ‘Hey Danny, have you truly ever seen two pretty best friends? Isn’t one of them always ugly?’” “What are you trying to say, Danny?” I asked worriedly. “Look— what I’m trying to say— what I mean is that they’re right. I don’t know that I have seen two together before.” “Danny—“ “What I’m trying to say is that you’re the ugly best friend.”
This is when my world shattered. I knew I had to come to terms with reality.. that I could not compete with the greatest of all time: Danny Devito
