Friday, September 24, 2010

Just Friends


Those used to be the two words I dreaded the most as a young man in love. It was always the end of the road for romantic intentions and almost always the end of the friendship too. As an old man it has come full circle to me and I see both the hope and despair attached to the definition as it registers in my heart. With the experience of years I can look back and see that friendliness is better than bitterness, wholeness is better than broken ness and the passage of time smoothes over the jagged edges of shattered hearts. Friends that I thought I had lost are still there.

Its funny because the "just" in the phrase 'just friends' implies a diminished capacity for the relationship and I suppose in many ways it is. Certainly there can be no more passionate desire to be together that takes over, like a life of its own and crowds into most every thought. No more sharing of all hopes and dreams. If it was a one sided love imagination then it is probably just a brush off, but if it was the tamping down of mutual love where circumstances no longer allow the fire to burn out of control then maybe, just maybe its a lifeline to some future date.

The friends part of it is surely the tricky part. What is a friend? How do friends act? I am friendly to everyone I can possibly be friends with. I want to remain friends with all who have become dear to me over the years. But I am guilty of getting caught up in the day to day gyrations of life and not allowing myself enough time to stay intimate with even my bestest friends and my beloved family members. I want to be a better friend and I want to be there when someone needs me.

Life is constantly moving forward and I guess my best hope is and will always be the golden rule. Looking back at the triumphs and frustrations gives the true perspective, and I can honestly say that everybody I ever cared for in the past I still do. Everything that I ever did must have had a reason, even my selfishness has taught me to be less selfish. There is so little I would change if I could and its mostly just my reactions that have betrayed me and need to be controlled. Wisdom is hard fought for and every lesson is precious, just like every moment in time.

Friday, September 17, 2010

The Truth Is...


Being a friend requires actually being there for your friend

Feeling like a second class individual is worse than being alone

Time and forgiveness work together and heal all hurts

What I say and what I do I hope reflect the Golden Rule

I can live with the truth and sometimes it even hurts to my soul

But since I really love my friends and I would do whatever I could for them

Like I would listen to whatever they had to say,

even if its not what I wanted to hear at that moment.

Thats just me


Thursday, September 09, 2010

Apoplectic


There comes a time in a mans endeavor when he must weigh the cost and reassess the wisdom of his venture. How in the world is this ever going to work? Is it worth my time and my heart and my soul, he asks himself. Evidence should present itself that this is undeniably the direction he should maintain. If it becomes obvious the dream will never become reality it may have to be abandoned.

All is not lost because knowledge has been gained and he knows he is a better man because he followed his hearts desire as far as he could. The reward is to live and love and to have a clear conscience.
The memory is all that was good still is.