When I was living in Los Angeles during my late teens and early twenties I had a real close friend named Eric. Eric was one of those people that just made everything easier. With the exception of our love of sports and rap music we were literally from 2 completely different worlds. Whenever any of my friends came to visit from back home they often marvelled at how two oddballs like us ever became friends.
Eric was an extremely at-risk youth and he was a year or two younger than me. His father was out of the picture, his mother lived in Sacramento, and Eric lived between my house, his girlfriends house, his uncles' place, and really anywhere he could. He was extremely talented as an athlete and he and I regularly got beat up or threatened while running court together on the local street basketball scene. Unfortunately Eric had a problem with drugs and a major problem with drinking. Eric was a binge drinker, he didn't do it everyday, but when he did he would have a drink in his hand until he passed out.
I always looked at Eric as someone I needed to protect, somebody that needed my help. I got him off of crystal meth, he got a job, he was healthy again, but I was always very worried with Eric because he was always one step away from falling. When I introduced him to his girlfriend they became a very cute couple but he depended on her probably a bit too much. Obviously Eric and I being so close he knew the majority of my life story, and we had shared many intimate details with each other. Despite all of Eric's issues and struggles I almost never saw him without a smile. I assumed it was because he was comfortably numb or it was just a facade, but how could he keep up an act with me? On more than one occasion he had come to me when shit had hit the fan and he'd say, "Just let it slide man". I ignored him the first few times and finally I got tired of it and I asked him what his deal was with that crap.
I remember what he told me like it was yesterday.
"My dad left when I was 8, my mom was an alcoholic and she left me in Los Angeles around the age of 13. From there I bounced around from shelter, to foster care, the streets and everywhere in-between. I've seen everything there is to see with the exception of death, and with some of the drugs I've been on that may not even be true. I have known as much pain as I could have ever imagined and I'm only 21. Let it slide is my way of reminding myself that as long as I'm still breathing and I'm not in trouble with the law, what on earth have I got to worry about."
He then went on to explain how I hold on to way too much hurt and anger and its eventually going to kill me or ruin everything I love. I can honestly say that Eric was not the brightest individual, but he sure made a while lot of sense right there, and he pegged me pretty accurately. He was dead right and in the ten plus years since I've last seen or spoken with Eric, I have ruined many relationships and cost myself plenty in the process. It took me a long time to work it back into my mantra, but it's helped me immensely, especially as of late.
I think the more we can all learn to "Let it slide", the more we may find that things a little bit easier to deal with. If it's one thing I've learned from people who have it as bad as anyone you could imagine or who have overcome some of the craziest events I have ever heard, it's that they have brighter outlooks on life than people who have rarely experienced tragedy or struggles in life. The people who have hurt the most and who have been rejected by society, and sometimes their own families, still have a smile, and they still want to enjoy life the best they can.
So I implore all of you out there who may have it pretty darn good, and I'd like you to try taking a few more deep breaths a day, and try to let things slide a little. What have we got to lose?
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