The Hard Seasons

Answer side by side

Why did this friendship hold when others from the same era didn't?

The question sits across the top; you each answer on your own page. Whoever writes second reads the first answer before writing — agree, argue, or correct the record.

Why this question

Think of the names we've both lost along the way — good people, just gone quiet.

And once you’ve both answered

What did we do — or refuse to do — that made the difference?

Answering it honestly

  • Whoever writes second reads the first answer before writing — properly, not a skim. Your page can agree, argue, or correct the record.
  • Be specific. Dates, places, what was playing, who else was there. Wrong details are welcome; they're evidence.
  • Don't negotiate a joint version. Two accounts that refuse to match are worth more than one polished one.

And the house rule, whatever the mode: leave a blank rather than write a lie. A blank can be filled later; a lie sits in the archive forever, and you both have to live with the paperwork.

More from The Hard Seasons

Write the apology you never quite said.

What's the closest this friendship has ever come to ending?

Take our worst falling-out — or our longest silence — and give your full account of it.