Imaginary People

Have you ever wished that you could turn back time and go back to your childhood?  After all, everything was so much easier back then.  There were no bills to pay, no children to be responsible for, and no REAL responsibilities in life!  But, most of all, the people in your life were real.  Your friends were your friends and whenever you needed them they were there.

It seems as we grow up that "real" part of a lot of people's personalities goes out the window.  The person that used to be there every Friday and Saturday night hanging out with their friends and caring about what they had to say has evolved.  Now, most of those people are the "friends" that are there for you when they need something or only stick around because of the success in your life.

Now, the people that know me well, know that there are very FEW people that I can actually utter the word friend to describe.  After all, that process has been a product of much pain in the past.  Now, caution is due and it seems like you have to enact a strict screening process for those that you hold close in your life.

So, why is it so hard to just be like a child?  For the religious types, that is what Jesus said to do, after all!  Likewise, for the non-religious readers, the concept still applies.  Why can we not just keep our friends close, sacrifice for them, love them, and be truthful at all times with them?  Is friendship a concept of the past?  Are people incapable of endearing themselves to others out of self-sacrifice instead of self-gratification?

I think those are good questions that we all need to look at ourselves and answer.  Everyone needs a little gut check when they look in the mirror and a good topic on which to conduct it.  Therefore, I challenge myself and anyone who is reading this to look in the mirror and say, "Have I been a good 'friend' today, last week, last month, or last year?" and if the answer is no, then ponder how to fix that.  The world sucks enough without having good friends in it!