What About Your Friends?

What defines a true friend?

Someone you would build a bond with, develop respect for and someone you can rely on.

Some people believe childhood friends are the best, although some times even these types of friends grow apart and travel different roads in life. I must admit there is nothing like those friends that come back around and it seems as if they never left.

Remember when you were a kid, you had people so close to you, you just assumed they were family, until you were old enough to realize that these people were no relation to you at all.

There use to be a time when friendships were so genuine it didn't matter if they were related by blood or not. You could count on someone to watch your house while you were away… keep an eye out for your children while they were outside playing…knew to expect or to invite one another to family functions, even put aside a plate when one would cook a big meal. These are the things that make friendships truly rewarding.

People looked forward to a night of spades or just hanging out on the porch together. Fish Fries or a night of drinking and catching up on the week gossip.

Phone calls… visits; these types communication was like clock work because this developed over time. Now a day’s people don't have time for one another. Technology has taken over a lot of the ways we communicate. One of the most common ways is to shoot a text message, instant messenger, or email.

There is nothing wrong with this, but it should not have replace good old fashioned face-to-face contact.

You have to spend real time together, talking through stuff, looking into your friend's eyes and watching their body language. When two people do this over time they become familiar with each other's mannerisms and quirks. They know when the other is kidding around and when they are serious. Which can cause friction as well, an email can be easily misunderstood and misinterpreted.

Friends don't fuss, fight and be back cool in a few days anymore, in fact they do more damage when they turn to others to talk about that friend they have the problem with… When face to face contact is generally raw and transparent and can avoid confusion.

To develop a deep satisfying friendships, you need to clear consistent time in the calendar and get together for lunch or tea. This may be a bit old fashioned but it works and it is worth it.

Now a days it’s hard to determine who your real friends are or people’s sincere reasons for being around you. Relying on others is a thing of the past. We're living in a time where greed and selfishness supersede any and everything.