#8 Let’s talk about friends
I am not close to my family, other than my mom and dad. So my friends replace the roles of brothers and sisters for me. I want to make some observations and open ended questions to you, those read of this… and I know you are there, because I see 47+ views of my blog a day (nuts!!) but thanks for reading… so keep commenting because thatâs what keeps me writing, even if I disagree with you, I am comfortable enough in my own opinions to hear yours.
1. Friendship is like all other relationships… IE a marriage, or a band… they require work. They require effort by all parties included to keep cultivating the groundwork and keep in interesting. Sure they don’t require as much effort as the other two, but if they go neglected they will not last. You cannot take a friendship for granted either; it is a two way street requiring appreciation from both people.
2. Friendship requires risk taking. For instance, if you see something negative that your friend is doing that you as well do. A bad habit, an addict, bad choices, itâs your duty to ignore the hypocrisy you might feel by calling them on their shit. I really believe in this, you must risk yourself looking like a hypocrite to help them get back in line and hopefully they can help you or you will feel motivated by seeing them in your condition to help yourself.
3. The difference between friendship and an acquaintance is selflessness. I’d step in front of a bullet for a friend, but for an acquaintance I’d do all I can to save them with what knowledge of have on treating gunshot wounds. Does this make sense to you? I value my friendâs lives more than my own, and I would hope they would do the same. Whereas; acquaintances are not close enough to get such a special status in my heart and mind.
4. A friend watches over you and casts a suspicious eye over people you think may be your friend but whose intentions are only negative. A real friend will not make close ties with those who you think are your friends but only mean to use you for their own gain. This can be one of the hardest things to watch. Sometimes you have to stand up and have the courage to warn your friend of the character of those they have surrounded themselves with. And fuck, I am guilty of not warning them. But my regrets for not speaking up have taught me a lesson.
5. That brings me to the next point; which is remembering what may be best for you, may not be whatâs best for your friend. Celebrating each otherâs differences means all aspects including celebrating the fact the one outcome may best suit you and another may best suit your friend.
What do you think about these ramblings? Do you agree? How do you see it?
