Stanley Wants to Be a Good Friend to Rocky Raccoon February 28, 2021

 February 28, 2021

Me: Hi Stanley! How are you today?

Stanley: I’m doing well. No, actually, I’m not. I’m having a rough day.

Me: Oh no! What’s happening? Why is this a rough day for you?

Stanley: My best friend, Rocky the Raccoon, is moving away. I’m sad. He’s my best buddy. We play poker together and talk about life things. I’m going to miss him.

Me: Oh, I’m so sorry to hear about this Stanley. Why is Rocky moving? I thought he liked it here.

Stanley: He did, but now he doesn’t. He says it’s getting too crowded and I think he’s also upset that his girlfriend moved away. Her parents wanted to be closer to the water, so they moved down by the lake.

Me: Oh, I see. Well, I think raccoons do like water and the lake isn’t so far away, just down the hill. Couldn’t Rocky still visit her?

Stanley: He could, but I think he wants to be more available so she might take an interest in him.

Me: Oh, so he hasn’t won her over yet? Is that right?

Stanley: Right! I don’t think he knows how to be romantic and let a girl know she’s his whole world.

Me: Oh! I see. <smiling> Like you do, right? Maybe you could help him?

Stanley: I’ve tried to give him advice, but you see he thinks the stuff he does is romantic, but I don’t think it is.

Me: Oh! I see. <chuckling> Tell me more about this. What kind of things has he tried?

Stanley: He does weird things, you know, like berries and bringing her shiny things. He thinks she loves shiny, blingy things but I’m not so sure. I even helped him write a poem, but he said it was too silly and he didn’t want to give it to her.

Me: Oh. Well, remember, I have read some of your poems. <smiling> Is he shy? Maybe it would embarrass him to read a poem to her. His personality is quite different than yours, right?

Stanley: Yes. It is. I tried to help him, so he could be more like me and not be shy, but he just couldn’t do it.

Me: Oh! I see. Well, sometimes you must stand back and let someone be themselves and find their own way. You know, respect the path they are on. Be there and be a friend when they need one, but don’t try to change them or get in their way.

Stanley: I get that. But now I’m not going to have a chance to be a friend because he’s moving.

Me: Hmmm I’m sorry Stanley. I know you are sad about this and will miss him.

Stanley: So, what can I do? How can I convince him to stay here? I know! He really likes my new leather jacket. Maybe I can tell him I’ll give it to him if he stays. Do you think that might work?

Me: hmm Well, it might. But if you were planning to move to be closer to your girlfriend and your best friend offered you his leather jacket to stay would that make you stay?

Stanley: Well, it might, if I didn’t already have a leather jacket. <wink-wink> You’re being tricky aren’t you. Did you just use some psychology on me?

Me: <laughing> I don’t think so. But if I did, it wasn’t intentional or a bad thing, right? I’m just trying to look at this from Rocky’s perspective. To help us both see how you can be a better friend to him and support him through whatever decisions he makes.

Stanley: Oh, I get it! And you’re trying to be a better friend to me too, right?

Me: <Laughing> Yes, I guess that’s true. I am. I want to be a good friend to you.

Stanley: That’s awesome! Thank you. So, if I give Rocky my leather jacket so he’ll stay, then you could buy me a new leather jacket because you want to be supportive of me and my decisions, right?

Me: hmmm Now, who’s being tricky Stanley?