Friendship
I am on the brink of discovery: a new lesson on friendship is on the horizon.
Prior to now, I treated my friendships with a great degree of uniformity. I was under the belief that any two people can get along, if only they behave respectfully, maturely, and with the understanding that compromise is mandatory.
Yet I expected every friendship to be the same. Homogenous. I subconsciously believed that any two people are capable of enjoying the same activities together.
I still hold to the first part of that belief. Any two people, in my opinion, can get along. I realize that's a quasi-utopian theory, and will never be fully realized this side of eternity. But I think it's theoretically possible.
The second part of the belief is what has changed. I realized it last night, going downstairs to get ready for bed. Here's the fundamental, cathartic, concise summation of the thought:
The activity that I enjoy with Calvin, I might not enjoy with Mark; the activity that I enjoy with Mark, I might not enjoy with Calvin.
This breathes new life into friendships, because I am now reminded that they are DIFFERENT, LIVING things... almost an organism in itself.
I feel a new sense of freedom somehow.
Sometimes, groups of people share a like pastime. For example, football. Everybody likes watching Monday night football. Except me- I don't like it. I am willing to learn it, but I don't forsee ever learning to like it. I'd rather watch baseball or hockey.
But there are OTHER things to do that just one or two people can share.
A walk up the hill.
A drive to nowhere.
A favorite sitcom.
Stuff like that.
This is entirely separate from the romantic or intimate time a man and woman spend together. I am not referring to those things at all. This is just an expounding in my mind on the uniqueness of each individual friendship.
Okay, time for my drug test.
Prior to now, I treated my friendships with a great degree of uniformity. I was under the belief that any two people can get along, if only they behave respectfully, maturely, and with the understanding that compromise is mandatory.
Yet I expected every friendship to be the same. Homogenous. I subconsciously believed that any two people are capable of enjoying the same activities together.
I still hold to the first part of that belief. Any two people, in my opinion, can get along. I realize that's a quasi-utopian theory, and will never be fully realized this side of eternity. But I think it's theoretically possible.
The second part of the belief is what has changed. I realized it last night, going downstairs to get ready for bed. Here's the fundamental, cathartic, concise summation of the thought:
The activity that I enjoy with Calvin, I might not enjoy with Mark; the activity that I enjoy with Mark, I might not enjoy with Calvin.
This breathes new life into friendships, because I am now reminded that they are DIFFERENT, LIVING things... almost an organism in itself.
I feel a new sense of freedom somehow.
Sometimes, groups of people share a like pastime. For example, football. Everybody likes watching Monday night football. Except me- I don't like it. I am willing to learn it, but I don't forsee ever learning to like it. I'd rather watch baseball or hockey.
But there are OTHER things to do that just one or two people can share.
A walk up the hill.
A drive to nowhere.
A favorite sitcom.
Stuff like that.
This is entirely separate from the romantic or intimate time a man and woman spend together. I am not referring to those things at all. This is just an expounding in my mind on the uniqueness of each individual friendship.
Okay, time for my drug test.
posted by Elmo at 11:24 AM
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