Sunday, July 27, 2008

Get by with a little help from my friends

Ok, so I've been writing a fair bit about my family, understandably because they're a pretty damn good family, but I often fail to express how much I appreciate my friends. First of all, there are two types of friends. There are those that hug and kiss you when they see you, tell everyone how good friends you are with them, buy you nice presents for your birthday and send you lovely messages on special occasions. These friends (although they are still friends) I have found are usually also only there for you when its convenient for them. They fail to contact you for over 6 months when you leave the country and basically don't give a shit about you, you're just one more name in their phone and one extra person on the 'people to call to go out with' list. 

Then there is another type of friend. The ones that aren't particularly over-the-top with their affections, very rarely tell you they love you, aren't particularly touchy feely or affectionate, don't exchange gifts on birthdays unless its a really special one and don't go around displaying their friendship with you to others. However, these friends will email you on a weekly basis while you're away. They scream with happiness when you call them. They're there for you not only in the times when you need them, but the times you don't. They know you like the back of their hand and you can completely and utterly let go of yourself when you're around them, snort when you laugh, tell them all the things you wouldn't tell your mother (actually in that case its not much at all!), tell them when that shirt looks stupid or they have something in their teeth. You can eat like a pig around them because they're doing the same thing. Its not an effort to have fun around them, you can spend an entire Sunday watching Gilmore Girls and not say a word to each other but still have an awesome time. You know for a fact they'll be the first to your BBQ because they don't need to be 'fashionably late' and want to help chop the onions. 

Sometimes it takes you a while to realise which friends fit into each category. It may take an event to show you the truth, traveling with them, not seeing them for a while, a breakup or a sad time in your life. But when you do realise who your true friends are, you know they'll always be that. They'll be there not because they need a friend, but because they genuinely love you exactly the way you are. They are rare, some people never find them, I'm glad that I have.


My besties, Esteves and Schmecky. We are seen here enjoying one of many things we have in common - a love of cake!

6 comments:

Baino said...

They are indeed your besties Clarence. They've been over a few times, Smecky for 'essence of Clare' and the two of them for dinner and a chat. Lovely goils they are and Smecks is looking so forward to travelling with you from the 13th.

Now do some travel catch up posts (you can predate them so they appear in chronological order!)

Excellent Adventures said...

Just a quick correction, its actually Schmecky with an 'h'. We've been through a lot to get this name right, if you spell it wrong there's hell to pay!! I'll try and do some catch ups, bare with me I'm only just getting into the groove!! Do you know how to make my title stop playing up?

Anonymous said...

I'm choking now! Real friends are there for both the good and the bad... BWARK!

Anonymous said...

Clarebear, Schmecky (with an H)and Estevez are what you call "Gold" friends....then there are other categories "Silver" and "Bronze"
Life is worth nothing if not for your Gold friends....and cake.

Excellent Adventures said...

Babysis - hmm, friends are like frequent flyers. The more you're with them the higher in the bronze, silver, gold levels they go!

Jack - i can't agree more. I'm glad I have friends that are selfless

Anonymous said...

I MISS YOU CLARENCE

Widget