Friendship.
Though most of this blog has focused on dating, or relationships of the romantic nature; friendships are just as important as any other type of relationship.
The friends we surround ourselves with essentially make us who we are. You can learn a lot about a person based on the people they keep close. These are the people they trust their deepest secrets with. These are the people whom we break down our protective walls and show our vulnerabilities. These are the people who get to see the real us.
I am a very lucky guy. Don’t mistake this for sugar-coating but my friends are freaking amazing. The friends with whom I am uber-close to are small in number, however the people I would classify as a friend, without even the slightest second of hesitation, are quite larger in number.
Over the years the friends I grew up with have spread themselves out all around the country and in the case of a few, the world. With each year I’ve gradually added more and more people to this list labeled ‘Friendship’; from the home town, to college, back to the home town to a new city…to new city (yeah, I’ve moved around just a little bit).
Back in September 2012 I took a vacation back to Los Angeles, a place I called home for about 4 years. That trip helped me remember that time doesn’t necessarily kill those relationships you aren’t around to nurture in the physical sense. This is the 21st Century after-all with unlimited mobile minutes, texting, Skype, YouTube, and too many social media websites to count.
*above gallery from my vacation this last year (9/2012)*
I spent twelve days in the City of Angels, and when it came to the last 24 hours of my visit I became overwhelmed with the feeling of incredible gratitude for being able to spend close to two full weeks in the company of one (or more) friends each and every single one of those days.
Some of those friends opened their homes and gave me a bed, or couch, to sleep on. Others provided transport from one destination to another; which for some this would turn out to be the only time we’d get to spend together. Many agreed to join me for coffee, food, drinks, or dessert. Each and every one of them took time out of their lives to accommodate my visit; considering here I was on vacation while the rest of them went about their typical daily routines. (At least as routine as you can get for people who work in entertainment.)
*above gallery from my vacation this last year (9/2012)*
It has been almost six years since I left Los Angeles and moved to Kansas City. In that time I have made it back to visit three times. I am not proud of the fact that despite the number of times I’ve made it back to vacation there were some friends I hadn’t seen since the week before I loved.
Six years could be considered a long time.
On the reverse end of things I’ve seen some friends every single time I’ve made the trip. I will admit that those people are the ones I’m typically crashing with. It’s no surprise (to me at least) that one of those friends was my last roommate and another one still has the couch I gave him when I moved.
Here’s the thing. Despite the amount of time that’s gone by, whether it be six years or two months, I was greeted by every single person with a smile, a hug, or a combination of the two. Following that was uninterrupted catching up, story telling, gossip, and making the most of the time being spent together.
Often we focus on relationships and think of that word purely in a romantic sense. Honestly, I think friendships can be just as hard to maintain. I’ve often been praised by some for the effort I put forth when it comes to keeping in touch with those I call friend. Effort is such a horrible word to us, in my opinion, to describe this. Friendship isn’t an effort to me because any time we talk, or hang out, things just flow.
This is to all of the friendships out there. To the often overlooked definition when one hears the word relationship; the unsung heroes in the lives of everyone.
This is to my friends in Los Angeles, whom despite my “moving to the middle of fucking nowhere” and asked, “Where’s Kansas?”. Though there’s a laundry list of things I absolutely despise about that city, there’s always something that makes me come back.
You.
*above gallery dates between 1/2004 & 2/2008*
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February 25th, 2013 at 8:09 am
This article came off as very exaggerated, cheesy and cliche-like.
We all understand that friends and a social circle is a good thing, but aren’t you overstating this by a mile?
February 26th, 2013 at 6:31 pm
I’ll definitely give you chessy and quite possibly cliche’, because I can most certainly be a cheesy guy; one of my more endearing qualities.
As for exaggerated or overstated, nah. My friends are that fucking excellent.
February 25th, 2013 at 11:02 am
This is not exaggerated, cheesy, OR cliche. I think you’re right: good friendships are some of the most fulfilling relationships of your life.
I enjoyed reading your words.
February 26th, 2013 at 6:38 pm
Thanks Gina. They [friendship] definitely deserved a little credit on here. Already have a few ideas for college and some of my home town friendships too.
February 25th, 2013 at 12:41 pm
LOVE everything about this post!
February 26th, 2013 at 6:39 pm
Thank you!