friends

“ It’s almost like having the ultimate multi-tool in your back pocket. Each of the friends with their own area of expertise or own special ability to listen and relate on varying levels. What a deal, I feel like a pretty lucky dude!”

I had an opportunity to spend some time recently with a long time friend. Now, we’ve known each other since I was in the 4th grade, which for those of you that know me is quite some time. For those of you that don’t know me, it’s 35-36 years. Admittedly, we haven’t stayed very close since we graduated high school, but when you’ve known someone for that long it doesn’t seem to matter all too much. I should probably mention that my friend graduated a year before I did. I’m not sure if that’s important or not, but I wanted to mention it regardless. It could possibly contribute to why we haven’t stayed that close…or not. In any case, in the almost 6 years that I’ve lived in Utah he’s come to visit on two separate occasions. Once early on when he was on a cross country journey, and most recently when he came out to Park City during the Sundance Film Festival. We didn’t spend but about 5 hours hanging out and most of that time was spent zooming down the groomed runs at Brighton. But there was a lot of good conversation that occurred on the lift rides up the mountain.

When you are friends with a person for that amount of time there’s some sort of bond that gets created that makes time irrelevant. I’m not talking about the time spent, but more about the time in between talking or having direct contact with that person or persons. I have a handful of friends that share this same bond. Well, I guess I shouldn’t speak for them, but… There are a group of us that came together between probably 4th grade to about 7th or 8th grade that have remained friends. Now, well into our 40’s, with families and full lives, we don’t see or talk to each other as much as we once did. Some of us have moved to different states and with social media you just don’t seem to talk very much. Still, though, there is something that has been created within our group that allows us to go long periods of time without any interaction and be able to pick up as if there was no time lapse from the last time you physically spent time or spoke directly.

Is that the true measure of a friendship? I’m not sure. However, what I am sure of is the gratitude I have for those friends and the relationships we formed so many years ago. There is a comfort or solace that I have knowing there are 8-10 guys that I can pick up the phone at any time to shoot the shit or run a problem by or whatever. I don’t know if other people have those types of friends, but I do and I think it’s pretty damn awesome! It’s almost like having the ultimate multi-tool in your back pocket. Each of the friends with their own area of expertise or own special ability to listen and relate on varying levels. What a deal, I feel like a pretty lucky dude!