Oh, Romeo

Have you ever had a buddy that started dating a girl that after first meeting her you thought, oh my? Its not long before he is "in love", he has abandoned all that was previously important, and he lives and breathes his "new love".

Before long, she changes his hair style. He starts to wear new clothes. With careful precision, she exercises more control. Soon she regulates what is appropriate speech. He watches movies that he hates, yearning to go back to playing video games. Golf outings become less frequent, replaced with "quality time together". Different episodes have different independence-to-dependence time frames, but sooner than later, he disappears.

Months later, sometimes years, he resurfaces, desperately seeking help. He wants his freedom back. He wants the former life taken for granted. He wants rid of her.

At this point, one has a decision to make. Will "I-told-you-so" make a difference? Do you help him? Can you?

In the younger years, it is easy to miss the siren's voices. You see what your friend sees. She's hot!! Getting older, having sailed to the island more than once and narrowly escaped, you have the oh-my realizations. You try to reason. You try to warn. He doesn't hear. "She's the best thing that has ever happened to me!!" he exclaims. Soon his life is over. Again.

With age comes apathy. He's found another princess to bring home to mother. He knows better. He sees what you see. He knows what she has planned. Still, he overlooks, explains away, lives the fairytale. At some point, you wash your hands, let him go, and may God save his soul...

This is what is sad: In less than three weeks, we will have an inauguration, and he will marry her. But what is troubling is that I have to marry her too.