Now that I've been on Facebook for almost two years, I think a lot about the 267 people who, at present, show up on my Friends list. Frequently, I eliminate everyone from the "People You Might Know" prompt because, although I know who they are, we have never spoken or I have little intention to speak to them. More annoyingly, I see people refer to people as their friend who little deserve that title. I find it amazing what people are willing to forgive.
In the past year, I've had many conversations with people. Some of them talk of how they "appreciate" friends who uplift them and inspire them instead of friends who serve as bad examples. Yet, they spend their time with the latter in lieu of the former. Others talk of people in categories of Coworker, Acquaintence, and Friend and point out that while you may think I'm a friend, if all we ever share is stuff at work, we are not friends. Very few people know where I live, which is ok with me, but if they do not care to ask, I do not care to inform.
Some people have no idea what the title "Friend" really means. They bandy it about with reckless abandon, applied to those with whom they joke and who joke about them at their expense, at those whom they snub and who snub them in return, at those whom they betray and who betray them in kind, at those whom they exploit and who exploit them in retribution. They apply it to coworkers and acquaintances, people they barely met and people they barely remember. Yet these people are noticeably absent when they are sick or poor or lonely or hurt. They do not give of themselves unless they are guaranteed reciprocal exchange.
True Friends will differ from the people toward whom you have come to apply that term. They will be at peace even if they smile seldom. They will move quickly, confidently, in the direction of their dreams. They will encourage us, welcome us, accept us, even as we snub, exploit, and betray them. They will largely work in the background. You will think you are being nice to them when in reality they are being nice to you. They will love you more than others do and more than you deserve but they will need you less. They will have time for you anytime, and you will wonder how they manage to make it. And after you have stabbed them in the back, laid waste to their estate, broken their heart, and brought them to the brink of ruin in every way imaginable, they will still come and rescue you when you call, because they are true friends. You cannot be a true friend until you are true to yourself, and since most people do not yet know who they really are they are incapable of being your friend because they cannot be true to that ephemeral morass to which you now refer as your "friend".
In the past year, I've had many conversations with people. Some of them talk of how they "appreciate" friends who uplift them and inspire them instead of friends who serve as bad examples. Yet, they spend their time with the latter in lieu of the former. Others talk of people in categories of Coworker, Acquaintence, and Friend and point out that while you may think I'm a friend, if all we ever share is stuff at work, we are not friends. Very few people know where I live, which is ok with me, but if they do not care to ask, I do not care to inform.
Some people have no idea what the title "Friend" really means. They bandy it about with reckless abandon, applied to those with whom they joke and who joke about them at their expense, at those whom they snub and who snub them in return, at those whom they betray and who betray them in kind, at those whom they exploit and who exploit them in retribution. They apply it to coworkers and acquaintances, people they barely met and people they barely remember. Yet these people are noticeably absent when they are sick or poor or lonely or hurt. They do not give of themselves unless they are guaranteed reciprocal exchange.
True Friends will differ from the people toward whom you have come to apply that term. They will be at peace even if they smile seldom. They will move quickly, confidently, in the direction of their dreams. They will encourage us, welcome us, accept us, even as we snub, exploit, and betray them. They will largely work in the background. You will think you are being nice to them when in reality they are being nice to you. They will love you more than others do and more than you deserve but they will need you less. They will have time for you anytime, and you will wonder how they manage to make it. And after you have stabbed them in the back, laid waste to their estate, broken their heart, and brought them to the brink of ruin in every way imaginable, they will still come and rescue you when you call, because they are true friends. You cannot be a true friend until you are true to yourself, and since most people do not yet know who they really are they are incapable of being your friend because they cannot be true to that ephemeral morass to which you now refer as your "friend".
1 comment:
Gr8 Blog
Luved it.. so true. Is now doing a facebook friends clean-up! lol
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