Every friend group has its own rhythm, an unspoken balance between the loud, the calm, and the wise.
There's always someone who leads, someone who listens, someone who keeps things light.
Roles that just… fit.
But me?
I've never quite found mine.
Sure, there are other roles too, like The Protector, The Wild Card, and The Realist.
I could list even more,
But what's the point? None of them fit me. None of them fit how I see myself.
None of them fit how I think others see me.
So I made a new one.
A new role that actually makes sense for me, one that stands perfectly in the group
Without intruding on the others, and that's
The Place Holding Jester.
Now what does that mean?
Well, let's break it down.
A Jester, or Fool, is someone who makes others laugh.
They entertained kings, queens, and crowds alike
by turning themselves into the joke.
They brought joy…
sometimes...even at their own expense.
And that's me.
I'm the fool.
I make people laugh by playing dumb,
acting clueless,
pretending not to know,
all to make someone else smile.
That's the Jester part.
But the Place Holding part?
That's where the truth sits quietly underneath.
See,
I'm the one people call when their first choice isn't around.
When their King's away.
When their Queen's busy.
I'm the stand-in.
The backup.
The third wheel and seat warmer.
And don't get me wrong. I know my place. It's a lonely kind of knowing, like sitting backstage and waiting for a cue that always comes with a bit of regret.
Even when the King isn't there or the Queen's away,
I stay in character.
I stay the fool.
Smiling.
Acting oblivious.
Playing my part perfectly, even as I wonder if anyone notices the cracks in my performance.
Because that's my role,
to hold the space.
To fill the silence.
To keep the laughter going even when I know I'm only here because the main character isn't.
I'm The Fool. The Seat Warmer. The Third Wheel.
The one who makes you laugh,
Then fades out when the real person comes back.
And maybe that's okay.
Because if my foolishness brings someone peace
If my laughter makes the room lighter
then maybe, just maybe, being The Place Holding Jester
isn't so foolish after all.