I've been thinking about this one for a long time.
My best friend D and I are the entertainers of our little group. From very early on, we developed a cadence and a chemistry that captivated. Our routine was all about looking askance at life, fully conscious of the lenses we were using: sarcasm, laden with pop culture references, long before Juno was a thing.
Visit a discount cigarette establishment at which cigars were in no way discounted? Obviously that store was now named "Cigarettes Cheaper; Cigars, Much Much More Expensive" and obviously a full 30-second commercial complete with jingle was forthcoming while we leaned against the car hood and smoked.
The cute little girl at performing arts camp likes The Lion King? Well, we should probably do all of "Be Prepared." I mean, D's got that Scar impression, and I know all of the backup lyrics ("We repeat: endless meat"). Since I know all of the backup choreography too, I'd better get down on my knees here and do the Hyena March. Yep.
Who we are demands it, just like it demands that when Eminem's "Square Dance" is playing, we actually do-see-do our partner.
Now, sixteen years down the line, The Bit is fully-formed and still evolving. There are no pauses for breath, as his fiancee recently noted. The pace is breakneck, the timing is precise, and the jokes are effortless. The fact that we crack others up with our antics is pure bonus. We'd be doing just what we're doing, whether you're here or not and whether you laugh or not.
This is only one example; I'm part of several Bits. The David and Ian Show sounds like the bickering one-upsmanship of a long-married couple. The David and the Vassar Girls Show gets decidedly raunchy. The David and Mom Show consists of me begging Mom to take pity on all of the Stupid People in the world while she elaborates on just how stupid they are, why, and what should be done to them in punishment.
These Bits are the bricks of longstanding relationships; they've become essential parts of who I am, how I communicate, and what I think is funny. We all have them. We've all got at least that one person, with whom the understanding and the shared humor is as easy as a spit-take. Each Bit is a reprieve, a gift from Life, your own personal Cheers that's never farther away than your cellphone.
D got thoroughly engaged recently, a move that initially shocked me. After spending a very short amount of time in the presence of this new couple, I saw it - a new Bit had sprung up in my best friend's life, fully formed before I'd gotten a chance to witness it. There it was: the perfect chemistry, the precise timing, the effortless shared humor, the insane pacing. It cements their bond as surely as our Bit does ours. They will never share a dull moment except by choice, and I suspect even that moment will be laden with sub-vocal communication.
However your Bit manifests, take a second to be grateful for it. Go give yourself five minutes of that specific laughter only one person can bring to you. It's good for you.
