Wednesday, May 12, 2004
2:54 PM
Well, since a whopping three people sent me their thoughts about today's Daily Derenger, here they are for your reading pleasure. I'll also include what I had written originally. Rest assured, I'll be making comments often.

(original Daily Derenger)
So let's say you see an ex-boyfriend of a good friend of yours. You use to hang out with them when they were a couple, and you're still really good friends with her. The three of you are all from the same hometown, and you just happen to see him driving around in a nice, phat car. Even though your friend has moved on and is happily dating a great guy, you still feel compelled to tell your friend that you saw her ex in your hometown driving a Mercedes Benz - not as a means of rubbing it in, but simply as a "Guess who I just saw?" Are you an asshole for calling her to tell of your spotting her ex? Or is her seeming mad at you an over-reaction? Or is it something clearly justified?

(from the friend I called about her ex)
It is not fair of you to use a snippet from my life and publish it on your website, encouraging people to take sides. What people don't know - and I told you this- was that I had an office full of people and I was working very hard. Phone calls about ex boyfreinds fall into the "is this necessary?" category. You said you didn't think it was a big deal, and yes, it's not a big deal, so why did you call, then?? I simply thought your call was so sophomore-year. Practice some discretion. I am having a less than stellar week and I do not need to throw in a fight with a friend to add. Have a little respect.

(from a married male, 29)
If you call her just for that reason, you are an ass. If you bring it up in casual conversation, that is perfectly fine. If she over reacts to that, then she has a security issue (not Lo-Jack type security). She is in a good relationship now, right?? I wouldn't give two shits if I saw an ex driving in a Hummer or Mercedes. I would just assume that she had found a dumbass that got her a nice car while he works his ass off 70 hours a week in corporate America while she fucks every other guy when he is not at home.

(married male, 27)
If you go out of your way to call her just to tell her that....it's kind of a dick move. If you save in the back of your mind and bring it up in conversation with her....totally different....not such a big deal....it is matter of fact then. Making contact with her because you want to tell her about it is a dick move.

My comments:
My family and friends should know that when things happen that I'm a part of - or sometimes even not a part of - chances are I'm going to talk about it on stage, on my site or simply in casual conversation. Not as a means of causing problems or creating turmoil, but simply as part of what I do. I'm a comedian and writer whose material comes from daily life. I don't write regular knock-knock jokes; I talk about what I and other people say and do. Plain and simple.

I called because cell phones allow for that impromptu call to take place. Sure, in a time of an emergency, a cell phone call is necessary. I know I didn't need to make the call to my friend, but I did. And here we are debating about it. Brilliant - almost like a Guiness beer commercial.

As much as my call may have been "so sophomore-year," her stating it as such is quite comical. Who even drove sophomore year, let alone in a Mercedes? I drove because I'm a December baby, one of the oldest in my class. However, my ride was an '88 Pontiac Lemans with no A/C or power anything. Clearly not a Mercedes. If someone ever sees me driving a Mercedes, please call everyone you know, mainly to see if I stole it or to see if I finally hit it big. Bigger than driving a Lemans or a Prizm that is.

Lastly, so maybe she was busy at work. I've never worked a real job in a corporate environment, so I don't know the business and the pressures that exist. However, I do know that this same friend has e-mailed me smut Web sites and has called about truly non-work related things. I figured a call about an ex-boyfriend was more legit than checking out a Web site about a stanger's huge shit or some guy giving a hooker a facial.

With all that said, I guess I am a dick. Like any of you needed this to figure that out.