Pete Hanson’s Daily Blog: Friends

In the movie Up In The Air, George Clooney’s character says, “Cameras are for people with bad memories.” I kind of agree. I don’t take a lot of pictures. For the most part I like to enjoy the event and move on. Although to be honest, I would probably take more pictures if I ever remembered to take my camera with me. That’s another kind of memory issue.

I kind of feel the same way about friends, or at least that’s the way my life has played out. I have had some great friends over the years. Neighborhood friends, high school buddys, college friends, co-workers. I have had the pleasure of spending my life with some really great people. I haven’t kept in touch with a lot of them though. Our paths crossed, we connected and lived life fantastically together for a certain amount of time, and then our paths continue on in different directions. We may have stayed in touch for a while, but that eventually faded. They each created a unique richness at a certain point in my life, that collectively contributed to who I am today. Just like my life story’s current list of characters are doing today.

I used to feel bad about not staying in touch, but there’s also something to be said for enjoying our gift in time together, and letting the natural progression in life take us on our own separate roads; appreciating the experience, appreciating the effect it had on us. There are a few people that I have experienced friendship for one day, and have not seen since. No reason to. There are a few that I have had in my life for most of my days.

I read somewhere that you don’t lose friends over time, you realize who the true one’s are. I would argue that they are all true, it’s just that some people’s paths carry the same course as ours for a longer time.