I hope he's happy.

I was trying to think if I am equally ignorant in any fields that could be as transformative and rewarding. Parenting crossed my mind, but I’ve had more exposure to parenting than he had to exercise and nutrition. I bet musicianship would be a good analogue, though. I know nothing about making music, so my early progress would be comparable to his initial weight loss. And you could get deeper into making music for your whole life; that field is infinitely rich.

Also, typing that up reminded me of my high school friend Paul. Paul was a swimmer, but always a bit heavy. Smart, especially at math. He was always a little obnoxious in groups, but I really enjoyed hanging out with him alone. Alone, he was a great listener and good company. He was dating a good girlfriend of mine; there were not secret crushes. He and my girlfriend went to college and spent a miserable two years together where they gained a good deal of weight. They finally had the overdue break-up and recovered to their not-miserable selves. They each dropped the weight, and Paul took weight control and lifting very seriously for the first time in his life. He shaped up and got confidence. Then he got slutty and then he got arrogant.

Paul turned real rude. I’d come home from school and when we hung out he’d talk about himself for hours straight. He wouldn’t even tell me about math. He got a Camaro and meant it, so he really needed straight talk from an old friend. I stopped calling him on my weekends home when he explained to me that he could maybe meet me for a lunch, but he couldn’t give me an evening because those were for women who put out. I understood the logic, but it wasn’t like he wasn’t scoring regularly or that he valued these relationships, so screw him for not prioritizing old friendships. I gave up on him for good when he got sloppy drunk as the best man at a wedding and made a very public scene with an engaged bridesmaid. The last I heard of Paul was that he fell hugely, helplessly, head-over-heels in love with a woman who cured him of his asshole ways right quick and then married him. I hope he’s reverted to the Paul I liked so well, but I don't think I'll find out.