An old friend recently moved back to town.

At first, I couldn't figure out if it was he or I who changed. I think it's me -- or, at least, I've been the one who's changed more significantly.

He's a fun guy, a showman, good to knock back beers with. Problem is, he's very self-centered. To the point where he forgets basic information about you, even though he's known you for years. To the point where you can just tell he ain't listening.

The woman he's dating is kick-ass cool, direct and to the point, interested in other people. That pretty much makes one of them.

My solution has been to see far less of him than I normally would. The guy's 40 years old and he's not changing any time soon. It's up to me to adapt -- and since I put more of a premium on reciprocity than I once did, I think our time together will be somewhat limited. Probably the best way to go about it.