Sidekicks

I'm not sure if this post has a point or not. I think not... (Yeah - that was a Descartes pun.)

While I was writing an earlier post (the one about Peter and I chasing Jan and Helen around the mall) I got to thinking about friendships - more specifically those of the "Lone Ranger and Tonto" variety - you know - the "action figure" and the sidekick...
That would have been Peter Paolucci and me - and Jan and Helen - and most definitely a girl named J.D. and my wife Debbie... I would have never met Debbie if it hadn't been for J.D. - but that's a topic for a much later post...)

Yeah - I've always been the sidekick... And if it weren't for the exploits of the "action figures" in my life I would have never gotten escorted out of the county by the sheriff - or ridden (and dropped) a motorcycle - or been chased by a bunch of angry rednecks (many times) - or been to a strip bar - or been an unwitting getaway driver - or had to fight off a nympho at a drive-in theater - or street-raced - or inhaled... But those are all future stories (if I decide to tell them)... The point is - without those action figures my life wouldn't have been nearly as interesting :-)

The funny thing is that up until now I had never really specifically thought of myself as a sidekick - it was just one of the countless things I accepted as given... I suppose that would fall under the heading of 'psychology' - but I (deliberately) never studied psychology so I can I can only speculate and wonder :-)
Yeah - it's probably just my nature... As far back as I can remember I've been a bystander... Other people do stuff - while I just sit around and watch.... And I'm OK with that - I'm quite easily amused :-)

But what is it about the action figure types that makes them approach life with so much less fear and apprehension?
And conversely, are all sidekick types cautious by nature? Afraid to take risks for fear of failure (or being laughed at)? And why is it so easy for them to throw caution to the wind when they're with the action type??

And why is it that I've never felt like I've needed other friends since Debbie and I have been together? Sometimes it worries me - it just seems kind of unnatural... Should I care??
Yeah - I should mention that Debbie and I are both sidekick types. Together we're like Tonto and Robin... A lot of this goes on: "What do you want to do?" "I don't know... What do you want to do??" "I don't know..." (Where's the Lone Ranger and Batman when you need them??) It drives our kids nuts :-)

I guess I'm just thankful for all the friends along the way who talked me into following them down the "black diamond" run a time or two... Sometimes ya just gotta get off the bunny slope - if only for a little while :-)