The Business of Friendship

Friendship is something that many people take for granted, and tend to come to expect it as being a part of life that just exists. I do admit that I too have taken friendship for granted and many times have forgotten that it's a blessing/privilege and not a right. There are many people whose lives are void of what they can call true friends. This is not to say that they don't have people they talk to, hang out with, and socialize with in general, however, real friends far surpass those things.
Over the weekend I was fortunate to see one of my best friends whom I hadn't seen in 20 years. Although much time had passed, she and I never lost contact, always communicated via phone, email, etc, and upon seeing each other on Saturday, picked up as though we had just seen each other the day before.
There were no uncomfortable silences, no standoffish ways, just genuine friendship. As I sat catching up with her, it dawned on me that cultivating and maintaining real friendship is not a huge daunting task, if one uses the most basic things they've been taught in life. Be kind, be true, be available, be honest, be compromising, and be forgiving. I am sure there are other things that could go on the list, but those quickly come to mind.
Real friends don't have to talk every day or see each other every weekend for the friendship to remain in tact. Months or even years could pass and if a friend should call, you ear is there to listen, your laughter is there to uplift and your love and caring are there to support.
Not all things in a friendship will be smooth, there will be disagreements, sometimes major disagreements, but the beauty of real friendship is that with it comes compromise and forgiveness which provides the friendship to grow stronger instead of dissolving.
I learned this weekend that although I have made many acquaintances over the past 20 years, I have not made a wealth of real friends, and then I stopped to think, something as special as REAL friendship isn't just around every corner and will not be found in everyone.
I am thankful for those few real friends I have and cherish the bond that we've created. I am also thankful for those acquaintances that I will never share a real friendship with, as they help me to appreciate those friends that I do have.
It's not how many you have, but the QUALITY of the ones you have.
For you to ponder...

Faces of the Fallen

I sometimes use the StumbeUpon app associated with the Firefox browser, just to add some spice and variety to my web experience. Recently, I stumbled upon a page titled Faces of the Fallen. What caught me off guard were the number of faces of dead soldiers that lined the page.
No, I don't live under a rock, and yes, I know the country is at war... What I find disturbing is the fact that so many have died, and so little is said about it.
As a student many years ago, I recall studying the various wars, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Korean, and the Civil War. All of the fore mentioned wars had entire chapters, some even BOOKS, dedicated to them. If my memory serves me correctly, it appeared that this nation was very involved in the welfare, concern, and support of the soldiers. Those who lost their lives were honored and the headlines constantly carried news of life on the war-front.
What's happening here in America today? On the Faces of the Fallen website, I see a staggering total of 5,014 soldiers that have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan; that's a lot of dead bodies.
I comb through local and national news papers, expecting to see headlines of war, what I find instead are headlines about estranged girlfriends killing their boyfriends, TV stars getting divorced, and the continuation of job loss in America. Have we forgotten that a war is blazing?
Don't get me wrong, I'm no advocate for war, especially middle eastern war. I can think of many other ways to spend resources and money... Can you say DARFUR?? However, since we have sent bodies to the desert to be human shields, I think we should at least not forget that they are there.
Stop by the page Faces of the Fallen (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/), it puts things in a very human light when you actually have mothers, fathers, daughters and sons that have given their lives (for oil and greed...did I say that???). You probably wont see a big headline in the newspaper about them, far too many stars getting divorced or DUIs to have room to talk about a dead soldier.
For you to ponder...

Pig Party

Pig party, swine, party, or to be more politically correct, an H1N1 party, yep, we're talking about a swine flu party! I haven't lost my mind and I'm not taking hallucinogenic drugs; there are people actually discussing/planning to have swine flu parties.
The thought is that they can get the flu while it's in a mild form and build up an immunity to it versus risking getting it later if it evolves into something far stronger. Basically, these neurotic, overly anxious idiots are planning a party to make themselves sick... and probably you and I as well seeing as how they will probably spread their party germs beyond that location. And we wonder how this thing keeps growing... Hmmmm...
The CDC has gotten word of the rumored swine flu parties and are heavily discouraging people from doing this. To me this is like the fire department having to discourage you from setting your own house on fire... ridiculous!
If you happen to get a party invitation with a cute little piggie on the front, trash it!
For You to Ponder...

Last But Not Least

Last year at this time, the world to me looked like an inviting appetizer; a prelude to a glorious meal. Change was the least of my worries, I actually welcomed change at that point. Needless to say, last year has come and gone (thus it's LAST year), and much change has occurred.
Things that I once valued least have come to mean more, and those once placed last have surfaced to be first, funny how time can rearrange the order of things.
None of this probably makes any sense to you as I am writing this blog from a completely personal point of view, you just happen to be the unsuspecting soul that has stumbled upon my ramblings. I generally try to approach subjects that may be meaningful to the masses (at least in my opinion), but today I am simply being selfish and this blog is meaningful to ME!
Last but not least, what has come and gone, what was once first and is now last, what was once most, is now least... Last but not least...
Through time, change, and courage, things are reordered; A different symmetry exist.
Last but not least... this may be my last chance, but I will give it the most of my effort.
For ME to Ponder :-)