Friendship

My father told me many years ago that "if you have three very close friends at the end of your life count yourself lucky." Well I found that hard to believe and I can say I've got a 'plethora' of good friends who'd go to the wall for me - and vice versa - as well as 'friendships' with my family. (I simply can't believe more than 800 of you count 'me' as a Facebook friend - cool)

When you leave a job - a position of influence - and become 'not important' to people anymore it truly is amazing how you can quickly separate friendship from people simply using your 'influence' in their lives.

As well - when you leave a job - a position of influence - and old friends come out of the woodwork and 're-engage' with you that friendship becomes even more important - because these are the friends that are with you 'thru thick and thin' in life.

I often thought a 'friendship' should have a pledge like marriage does "Do you Friend X take me as a friend for life - in sickness and in health - in good times or bad? Because at the end of the day, no matter who you are - what you've accomplished - what you own - or how 'big' you were in your chosen field - friendship is not judgmental in any manner.

They love you for "who you are."

Over this past year in my 'semi-retirement' I've found out that several of my friends were, well not really friends at all. No problem. I move on.

The up side is that some people who were what I would simply call "casual friends" have become very very close friends.

I'm spending more time with them. Laughing with them Creating new ventures with them. Sharing thoughts with them. Traveling with them. Riding motorcycles with them and I haven't missed the 'old friends' at all which I can safely say is "their loss."