THE LONG GOOD-BYE

Last night I received very sad news. My good friend, PTG, announced last night that he is moving to Denver. This is a huge surprise. Not because we PTG had never told us he would move, but because he spoke about it non-stop. PTG is Husband’s friend from law school and the entire time Husband and I were dating, PTG would be my last minute date to events whenever Husband’s work interfered with our planned date, and happily, PTG and I developed an independent friendship. From the day I met him, PTG was never shy about telling me (or anyone else) that he was from Denver originally and planned to move back there one day and run for local office. But, he more he talked about it and the more time passed, PTG’s Denver fantasy seemed to be just that.

You see, there is no one who embodies NYC more than PTG. Heck, that even rhymes. PTG always knew all the cool, hip places that Husband and I would never have discovered on our own. He went to see local bands in the East Village and Broadway shows. He could stay out (and convince the rest of us to do so as well) all night on a Tuesday and then still make it to work the next day. In fact, we found ourselves declining his invitations for happy hours, because they always went far beyond the hour and no one else is as skilled at being productive at work after being up all night as PTG is. Husband even coined a phrase for those nights where PTG would promise that he would have you home by midnight, only to find yourself stumbling into a taxi at 6am after attending some underground party in Williamsburg. You’d been G____’d.

The best thing about PTG was that there was no reason not to like him. He was…is (I guess leaving NY does not actually require you to be spoken of in past tense) open, honest and willing to laugh at himself. He accepts pretty much all people for who they are and embraces in a friend even the qualities they may hate most about themselves. I like him so much that I entertained a fantasy that he would marry Sister (with whom he is good friends) and we would all be related. Trust me; there are not many people I think of as good enough for Sister.

Plus, PTG really seemed in no hurry to move. He had multiple opportunities and stayed in NYC every time. When he was laid off from Big Corporate Law Firm, he did not move. When his lease ended last year, he did not move. I really began to think he would always be around. But, without telling anyone, PTG took a couple weeks and headed to Denver to scout places to live and interview for jobs. He found a place to live, received a job offer, and came back to NYC and told us his plan. He moves in three weeks, which is hardly enough time to overcome the shock of the news. So, while I am happy for him for finally going, I am incredibly sad that NY should lose its most ardent admirer. And for my colleagues, if I seem a little tired over the next few weeks, it is a safe assumption that I was G____’d.