Good Friends

[Edwin]

When I was very young and older gentleman said to me "What would life be without good friends?" I have thought about that a few times over the years. I have always had a few good friends, but I have never been very close with very many people. People that I attended school with were my good friends, and I had fun, and they had fun. I enjoyed those people, and they enjoyed me as well. It is the same with people I have worked with. I always considered the people I worked with as my good friends, and they considered me the same, and we all had fun with each other. I have always worked to keep things light, pass with a smile and a laugh, and hope that I have made the place better for being there! I have never gotten close through all of this; it is like "Love them, and leave them," and I don't mean in a bad sense because they were just my classmates and fellow workers. We moved from a valley in which I had lived from the time I was 2 yours old until I was 14, and then we moved to a ranching/farming operation in which my Dad owned and operated a ranch, and he was in partnership with my brother in a farming enterprise, which got much bigger after my Dad let him go on his own, because he rented farm land from all the neighbors, farming as many as 2800 acres at one time, 1400 in crop, and 1400 in summer follow, but things didn't work great for him and eventually he gave it up, and now his is just running 10 or 15 goats! Anyway when we moved I was a freshman in high school. There was this young lady, daughter of the elementary principal that was in love with me, only I didn't know it until late; story of my life! Anyway I graduated from high school with her and others of my classmates, and I have not seen most of them in almost 50 years. She wrote me a facebook message and told me that she would love to see me again, and she was hoping that I would come to our 50 year class reunion in 1014, and I think it will, because it will be fun to see all those people again. I imagine they are still my friends even though I have not seen them in many years. I have one friend from Vancouver, B.C., Canada who was a school teacher from New Zealand who migrated to Canada and attended Bible College where I did. He came home with me one weekend, and we had to walk 5 miles to get to the house because of bad roads. Carol and I have met with him several time, going to Vancouver, meeting at the boarder, him coming ot see me, and we give each otehr Happy Birthday wishes each year, his birthaday April 4th, and mine December 2nd. He spent all those years teaching Asian school kids, and now he is retired. He goes on missions trips periodically to Africa teaching trades and helping to build churches. It is fun to have good firends!

[Smiley]

A few true friends are worth more than a hundred people that hang around when times are good.

[Edwin]

Smiley, you are correct, and we call them fair weather friends! They are their when the money is flowing, and when the person is able to provide alcohol for everyone at the party. But when times are tough and the money is short, then you learn who your real friends are. A few true friends are invaluable! Some people have to be bought in order to be friends, and they seem to be more numerous than the really good friends who are there with you through thick and thin!