professional friend

today i was sitting with terry on his front porch and we had this conversation:

"so, i have you found any work yet?"

"nooo...i really need to work, though. i mean, i don't really want to, but i need to. if i had my choice, i would love to just visit and have lunch with people all day long. i wish there was some kind of job out there where i could work as a professional friend! that'd be pretty cool..."

"well, you know, that's what i tell people when they ask me what i do for a living. i tell them i'm a professional friend. that's what i do as a pastor."

"really?? huh! hmm..."