Samwise Gamg...Wilgus

     So my mind is just on fire for blogging right now, so here we go for another one.
     Friends have always been such an important part of my life, I have no idea where I would be without all of them. Making friends has never come as a hard task for me either, just due to the fact that I am very outgoing and easy to get along with. However there are certain friends of mine for which we share a different connection, one much more close and very odd compared to regular friendships. The friend of mine that best exemplifies this is my best friend growing up and in high school, Mr. Sam Barker Wilgus. But we just call him Sam.
     Sam is by far the weirdest person I know, and for that I love him. Every year, and I mean every year, he is a hobbit for Halloween (and don't think that's the only occasion he walks around barefoot with his khaki pants rolled up and a pipe sitting in the corner of his mouth). He also was the Editor-In-Chief of our schools newspaper. And the funniest person I've ever met. Sam is the most eclectic person I know.
     Some of you may have already made the LOTR connection in the title of this post, but if not, Samwise Gamge is the kindred-hearted hobbit from the series, a name I frequently call my buddy. Lord of the Rings is a common bond Sam and I share; we both love anything and everything to do with it. A few summers ago, Sam and I had the privilege of climbing a volcano in Guatemala while on a mission trip; if you haven't already guessed, we were giddy with joy and excitement. Yes, we called each other Sam and Frodo the entire time. Yes, we spoke with British accents without fail that day. And yes, we absolutely bought a plastic ring at the market and threw it into the lava at the top of the volcano. It's things like this why some people choose not to be friends with people like Sam and I, but we never cared because we loved it, no matter how stupid it was.
     Sadly Sam and I have parted ways since last fall, he pursuing the ministry of the Lord at Wheaton College in Chicago (Sam is a modern day saint (his favorite is Saint Francis)), and me leaving Dallas for the far away land called Ft. Worth. But it's alright, because we keep up well and spend practically every waking moment together when in Dallas at the same time. We plan to one day go backpacking and kayaking through New Zealand when we have graduated; something we like to think we be our "lifetime reunion" trip.
     This is starting to sound creepy though, like Sam and I are soulmates or something haha. Not quite, but I do love that kid to death. Sam is just a friend that I will cherish forever and hope to never lose, because he really has stayed with me through the bad and good and helped me become the man I am today.