It's raining, blog. Can you believe it. It's supposed to be summer and water is coming down in big giant globs and the wind is blowing on top of that. Go figure.
Before the deluge, Bailey barked his face off when the two neighbor pups went for a walk… and dared against all odds to tippy toe on the walkway in front of our home, but across the street. [YIKES! He's a guard dog, for sure.] These two little pups were all but prancing on two leashes. Some kind of happy doggies. Guard dog or not, I am 100 percent positive that Bailey boy would have loved to race on over for a sniff, bounce and maybe even a snuggle. They are girl doggies. [smile]
Yup! Dogs are mostly friendly types. Yeah, there are a few mean ones, but I imagine that these hurtful dogs are more a product of their environment. No dog is born bad. It's something they learn. At least that's what I like to think.
I'd say that it is a fair assumption that happy dogs are that way because they, too, are a product of their surroundings. They live in places where they are well treated, kept healthy and played with like friends.
Well, ya know, blog… I'm sure you can see where I am going with this thought process. I am fortunate to have many friends, people I know and some I care about deeply. I have business friends, Facebook friends and friends of friends. What this leads me to is this.
Can I call someone my friend if I have never had a face-to-face? I have met and grown quite attached to a few of my clients. I now call them my friend, but for most, I have never actually had an in-person meeting. No lunch. No handshake. No hug, or smile. I have never shared a glass of water, wine or tea. But, blog, because of this glorious thing we call, the Internet, I have been enriched by people who live across town, in another state and even in other countries. How lucky am I?
Yes, I truly believe the root of friendship is in the getting to know another person. The best way is get to know someone by what they say and do… not how they look. Even a picture is not a reflection of the real person. I can't imagine how many friends I might miss if I had to meet and greet in-person first. What a disaster that would be.
Now, it may help to meet a person in person. I'm not saying that a face-to-face is bad or unnecessary. Not all all. But you know, I may be a bit guilty of pre-judging a new acquaintance based on their appearance. I hope not, but I am human and sometimes humans do fall prey to mind thoughts that we don't really believe. I don't want to be the type of person who judges another simply on appearance. But… to my defense -- on those occasions where I might have, I know it was only because I felt frightened. No excuse. I know.
I can't be a friend until I have some friends. As I travel though my discovery journey, I realize just how important and valuable to my life, friends are. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that people I know, and will meet, whether in person or online, help me be who I am. Why? I can choose who I want to be friends with. Even on Facebook, if you feel threatened or insulted, you can click and block that person from your friends list. How great is that?!?
Yes, friends are a precious gift that I want to treasure. I am excited to get to know more friends. I am eager to learn about people who also want to friend me. What do they like? How do they live? Where are the parts of their life that may interact with my life? What an amazing journey life is with friends. I hope to friend more people and enjoy what we like and dislike. It's an awakening. A learning experience. It's the best of life. Happy am I if only I had one good friend.
Thanks, blog, for being something I can friend about.
