Unlikely Friends

I just finished a great book, Same Kind of Different As Me. The short novel (a true story) links the lives of two people who could not be more different; one is a wealthy art dealer (Ron), one is an uneducated homeless man (Denver). They meet unexpectedly, and neither likes each other, at first.

Ron begins to befriend Denver. About halfway through the book, Denver questions his motives with a very interesting analogy:

"I heard that when white folks go fishing, they do something called 'catch and release.' That really bothers me...when colored folks go fishing, we really proud of what we catch and we take it and show it off to everybody that'll look. Then we eat what we catch...we use it to sustain us. So, it really bothers me that white folks would go to all that trouble to catch a fish, then when they done caught it, just throw it back in the water."

He finishes his monologue with a challenge: "If you is fishin for a friend you just gon catch and release, then I ain't got no desire to be your friend."

Denver isn't afraid to tell it like it is. He doesn't want to be some project that Ron works on to completion and then forgets. He is skeptical that Ron's in it for the long haul, and I can't say that I blame him. Denver doesn't need Ron to give him money or new clothes or any material possessions. He doesn't need Ron to tell him how to live his life. Denver wants someone to love and trust him, a true friend.

Writing that makes this book sound sappy; but this story will give you a real glimpse into how redemption is possible in a broken world.