The thing about my friend Tom isn't just that he's super-smart (created a major in neurobiology for himself), or athletic (rowed throughout college), or hot (nick-named "The Body" by Charlottesville's gay community), or weirdly, randomly talented (singing bass at a Russian Orthodox church in DC, despite not being Russian Orthodox or even speaking Russian). It isn't even that he is the best I know at making the people he loves KNOW that he loves them (such an underrated skill!). Dayenu, dude.
But it's not just all those fabulous qualities. It is also that he is truly, genuinely, hilarious. He is the person on whom I can 100% rely on to bring insight and humor to every single conversation. See for yourself:
Tom Fries tells a true story at SpeakeasyDC's open mic from SpeakeasyDC on Vimeo.
All of my memories with Tom involve a LOT of smart-alecky-ing, and confessions of (semi-) inner dorkitude ("I heard the most interesting statistic on NPR the other day..."), and generally inappropriate commentary. One of my warmest, most beloved college memories is of a grey, gloomy February spent entirely in his company. We'd gone to UVA's gorgeous pool and swum a million laps. Then we went back to his apartment, where we made something ridiculous like fettucine alfredo, and brownies, and proceeded to undo any calorie deficit to the point of actual physical pain. We recovered by lying on his floor moaning, and he introduced me to "All About Eve". It was perfection.
Tom's moving to Germany for a couple of years, because his company loves him so, and DC and my dinner parties will be a duller place for it.
Besos, Tomisan! Bon voyage, gute Reis, miss you already.
No comments:
Post a Comment