Friendships

Day 66. Friendships.

Chances are 100% that if you're reading this, we're friends. Maybe we met as coworkers at some point in the last 35 years. You could be someone I knew in high school. Relatives are also friends, if we're lucky. Another group would be my NASCAR friends, as well as my cat-lover friends. Then there's the moron horde of political folks. Half of you are random people I associate with simply because the internet exists.

I count you all equally. I don't really distinguish between the groups I know in the physical world and the virtual world. I try to merge them as much as I can. I've had awesome road trips to meet race friends, and even though we're slack about repeats the morons make for great memories. Even if some crazy woman from Virginia tries to lick you. yeah, there's a story. And a picture somewhere. Weirdo.

I'd have to say I have been lucky in that I have some long-term friendships. A Swedish foreign exchange student from our high school in 1980, who's now in the US, and probably 25 other HS friends. Several coworkers from the 1990s, one of which has been there for me more times than I can count. A few people that I've never met in real life, I've been friends with for over a dozen years. The one furtherest away, over in Malaysia, I actually got to see in 2008. Very cool.

Some people don't "get" friendships. They consider friends as disposable people. I hope none of mine ever feel that way, because I put a lot of effort into cultivating the relationships. I try to know where people live, birthdays, family members, pets, things they like to do. Just because we're only connected via the internet doesn't mean we can't know each other well. It's not just some game we play, being friends. It's very real, and precious.

I sign off Facebook every night with what I hope is a witty message, and end it with an expression of love. I do mean that, in case you wonder. Not something I toss around, when I say it, I mean it. Wait til you need me for something, and you'll see how much I care. Not that I have to prove anything, but I'll be there.

Lesson Sixty Six: Are there friendships you wish you still had, from times gone by? Do you think about people you wish you were still in touch with? Think about finding one of them, you know there's tools on the internet to help. Just do it. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

664 to go....