The Fifty-Fifty Rule: A Story About a Retired Doctor Who Couldn’t Stop Talking About Himself

Photo by Microsoft 365 on Unsplash

Do you know how life sometimes throws you little teaching moments? Let me tell you about one that shaped my thoughts about meaningful friendships.

Back in September 2020, I was on a personal growth kick and signed up for a personal development class at our local college. During the first session, I noticed this engaging guy asking original, even provocative questions. Being a self-identified friendship seeker, I thought, “Perfect, let’s meet for coffee later.”

The Wrong Man

Here’s where a surprise set in — I showed up at the coffee shop, and in walks someone from the class — just not the person I’d planned to meet! Talk about a cosmic mix-up. But hey, I figured, why not roll with it?

This new acquaintance turned out to be a retired doctor with quite an impressive background — published research, successful practice, world traveler, the works. On paper, he seemed like he’d be this fascinating connection. But here’s where things got interesting (and a bit challenging.)

One Person Show

Unbelievably, our conversations became a one-person show. It was like watching someone perform their most fantastic hits album — all about their achievements…