The Importance Of My Friends
Posted: Monday, August 08, 2011
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
The older I become, it seems the dearer and more cherished are my friends, both current and throughout my life. I cannot remember any actual friends before my school years. But I look back now and am shocked to realize that I no longer know but one first grader with me who is still alive. He was a good friend then and remained so throughout our life. He still lives about 8 miles from my home. I see him occasionally and it brings back memories and lightens my day. Instead of playing ball, we now sit and talk to each other and remember the days we did play ball together. I was drafted into the army, but he was not. I don’t know why, but it must have been some health problem or someone had sufficient influence to keep him out. But I never asked him why and he never told me. I figured it was none of my business and he is my friend.
I cherished friendship so much as a youngster that I would actually submit to their wishes rather than fear that I might lose their friendship. I guess you might say I was a wimp, but for reason. Only after I became near grown did I realize that some were taking advantage of my desire to remain friends. I stopped going against my will or better judgment simply to please them. It was then I discovered the ones who were truly my friends accepted my new stand on my own two feet approach.
After I grew up, I was blessed to be taken into the army. I thought at the time it was a curse. But it taught me what real friendship and camaraderie really meant. The guys I served with soon showed me they would give another the shirt off of their back, if he needed it. If anyone became sick or injured and needed blood, everyone who knew him volunteered. Although I was placed in a non-combat role and did not have to do the things assigned to a foot soldier, I would have been honored to have those guys with me if I had been placed in such a spot.
After I was married, my wife and our three little girls moved quite often in following my career. But I learned there also that people you meet were what you made of them. It reminds me of a wise adage I once heard. It went like this:
An old codger was sitting in his yard at the edge of town when a stranger drove up and told him he was looking to settle in a small town like his and asked what the people were like here. The old man, quietly asked, “Well, what kind were those where you’re coming from?”
And the newcomer replied, “Why they were precious people, kind and always ready to help others.” The old man then said. “Well you can trust me you will like it here, those folks sound just like our people here…the cream of the crop.” So the man left very happy.
Another day a similar occurrence came. Another stranger stopped and talked to the old fellow and asked him the exact same question about the people there. The old man also asked him what the people where he was coming from were like.
This man fired in and said, “Well, that is the reason I’m moving. Those are the sorriest people I have ever known. They gossip about you and wouldn’t give you the time of day if you asked for it.”
And I suspect you know by now what the old man replied. He said, “Well sir, you need to just look further, because you have described exactly what you will find here. The people will treat you exactly like those did there.”
We found delightful people wherever we moved. Tears were shed by them and us whenever we had to move on. We still hear from some occasionally and it cheers our hearts. I still have two of my old army buddies whom I contact via email occasionally. But it has been a couple of years now since I heard from those two…and I’m afraid to inquire.
Friends are precious and everyone needs as many as they can muster. Humans crave to be loved and I know this is one reason I love dogs so very much. Their deep love is without condition, without pretense. They love you till either you or they die. They are truly a loyal friend of man. I won’t say the best because there are numerous humans who make great friends also.
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