In 1989 whilst returning from my father's funeral with
two of my best friends we became embroiled in one of those philosophical
conversations which so many of us have at times of great loss. It centred
around how short life can be, opportunities missed, and how we should make the
most of what we have when we have it. Right then and there we decided that from
that day forth we would get together at least once a week, every week, without
fail!
And so it came to pass that at three o'clock every Friday
afternoon my one friend, who ran a furniture manufacturing company, would close
his factory early, drive to my offices, where I had ended my day early, and we
would both drive to the third friend, who was a dentist and closed his practice
early, where we gathered. We would drink an Irish Coffee, only one, chat about
the week that was, and the weekend still to come, and an hour or two later we
would go off to our respective families.
It was the only prerequisite I had in my employment
contract. When I was asked in an interview if I had any requirements of the
company I stated, without blinking, that at three o'clock every Friday I would
be leaving the office irrespective of the work on hand. They needed to
understand that I was prepared to work any number of hours on all of the other
weekdays, and weekends if required, but the Friday afternoon was
non-negotiable. I think I caught them by surprise, or perhaps they didn't think
I was being serious, because they agreed without hesitation.
25 years later we still get together at least once a
week, every week, without fail. The format has changed slightly since the
dentist has retired, relocated up the coast, and can only join us every couple
of weeks. The furniture manufacturer has also retired, but that has given us
the opportunity to get together more often and the two of us now meet twice a
week!
The statistics are staggering! 200 litres of whiskey, 20 kg of coffee, 35 kg
of sugar, and 100 litres of cream consumed, with some water thrown in for good
luck! Along the way we have become
extremely good at making Irish Coffees, and are generally recognised as being
the Irish Coffee makers of choice amongst those fortunate enough to join us on
Friday afternoon. We've learnt that the best whiskey to use is the cheapest
whiskey off the shelf because, as my one friend says, "it must be
gruff". The more expensive the whiskey, the more easily it is overpowered
by the coffee, sugar and cream. You get strange looks from the off sales
cashiers when you ring up two or three bottles of their cheapest but we've
learned to live with the stigma! The
cream must always be cold, and the underlying coffee hot, to provide
contrasting sensations to your top and bottom lips. Of course it goes without
saying that the dividing line between the cream and the coffee must be clear
and sharp, no "brown cows" for us!
Pouring the cream onto the coffee over a spoon to ensure that the two don't mix is a technique which needs
to be mastered, but fortunately like riding a bicycle, it is one you never
forget.
The numbers don't tell it all because one factor that
cannot be calculated is the friendship. Our gatherings on a Friday have never
been about the alcohol, or the pouring techniques. We only ever drink one Irish
Coffee each. It is just a "treat" for the three of us, a small liquid
vice to provide an amusing and tasty common denominator. The most important
statistic is that through winter and summer, rain and shine, good times and
bad, political turmoil and economic uncertainty, sport and children's school
functions, on more than 1300 occasions, we have gathered together once a week,
every week, without fail. We were good friends before we started, but now we
are the best of friends, we are the Inner Circle, and will be so for the rest
of our lives.
My father had nothing tangible to leave me when he died,
but his passing triggered a decision which has had a profound effect on my
life. That irrespective of what the future holds we can look back and say that
we didn't allow time to pass us by and lose out on the opportunities that
friendships offer. My Irish Coffee drinking friends and I have made the most of
our time together and it has been, and will continue to be, the best of times.
