friendship
C.S Lewis got it right: friendship is born when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"
I Think I'm the Hot Mess Friend. Top Story - September 2018.
I became a mum two years and two months ago. Like many stay at home parents, I wombled along to a baby group in the hopes that putting my baby around other babies would somehow make said baby happy and in turn I would be around other mums. Despite the fact that singing cheesy songs in a circle of other mums is my literal nightmare situation (hate singing in front of people and large collections of mothers somewhat scare me) I went along with the best intentions. I arrived excessively early as usual and walked around outside of the circle of chairs, cradling my baby (who was five weeks old) staring at his face and nowhere else. I used him as a way to calm myself down and distract myself from the nerves of the situation. This was actually when he did his first set of grins which I still remember fondly. When the time came to sit down, I looked around the room, suddenly feeling like a schoolgirl all over again. It was obvious that a lot of the mums already knew each other as they sat in their little groups, oblivious to other mums around them. Every so often, you could see the bewildered mum, looking down at the floor and you could ascertain that she too was new. I sat down next to one such mum in the hopes that at some point over the half an hour I would pluck up the courage to speak to her. I smiled at her and she looked away shyly. The seat on the other side of me remained empty for the whole session and we never said a word to each other. I choked back panic as the leader of the session started singing (seriously can't stress how much people hearing me sing freaks me out) and tried to mumble follow along to unfamiliar and oh so cheesy songs. My baby slept for the whole session. It was generally a bit of a disaster. As I was getting ready to leave, a woman walked up to me. I just remember noticing her long dark hair and her warm smile. She said hi and asked me how old my son was (always a good ice breaker). I stuttered over small talk for a minute and we started walking out together. We realised that we were headed in the same direction to walk home and so we walked together and chatted away. As it came time to part ways, she asked to swap numbers. When I walked through the front door, instead of feeling like a total flop, I felt like I was walking on cloud nine.
By Jaz Johnstone7 years ago in Humans
Short Story: Halogen Headlights
The sun was hot. I remember that clearly. Jade and I climbed up into my black beat up Chevy. It took a couple twists of the key to get it to start but after a couple moments of thumping and clinking the old girl’s engine began to putter. I shifted it into reverse and backed it out of the driveway. Jade spun the volume dial and southern rock music started blasting from the speakers.
By Becki Wilson7 years ago in Humans
Why I Stopped "Communicating"
Do you know that person that just never answers their phone? Replies to text messages after a whole century? Says they will call you back and you know that's a lie? Or that friend that promises to hit you up so that you can make plans and you are still waiting for her/him to do so....? Yeah, that friend.... that friend is me.Now, before you start wondering why I am proudly exposing my flaws, let me first take you through the days when I was basically perfect, so that maybe when you are done reading this and you decide to hate me, you will have to make that decision based on both sides of the story and not just one.Once upon a time, my life revolved around my friends, it relied on the number of people in my life and I loved it. I loved meeting new people, the journey of finding out who one is, I enjoyed spending hours on the phone, laughing or you know? Doing a healthy amount of gossiping. I made sure I never missed a birthday, maintain the relationship and all the stuff that a "great friend" does including avoiding awkward conversations that would lead to confrontation, including taking the blame for things I haven't done, including going out for them even if I didn't want to and hey... a lot more things that no one forced me to do per se... but that's what a good friend does, no?
By Winnie Rugamba7 years ago in Humans
The Importance of Friendship
The average person doesn't usually go out on a quest to find a friend, usually it just happens. You are put in situations where you come in contact with people who you can relate to, you start talking, you both realize you actually have other things in common, and it's like BOOM—instant best friend. These kinds of friendships are the best because they're not forced—they are formed when you least expect it. I, myself, have made plenty of friends but not all of them have lasted.
By Kristen Burgess7 years ago in Humans
Best Friends 'til the End! Part 2
After the party, I was the responsible person and did NOT drink and drive. Instead, I slept over at his house. When I woke up, things started to heat up between he and I. I guess talking to each other for so long and rekindling our friendship made our feelings for each other even stronger. Unfortunately, after that, things started to get weird and he started to avoid me and things just weren't adding up. He was my best friend and the way he was talking to me just wasn't like him. So, as awkward as it was, we sat down and talked about it. We talked about how each other felt, and what happened and why it happened. We came to an agreement that we are just better off as friends and nothing more relationship wise. I wasn't happy about it because what I felt was completely real love for him. I knew that if we wanted to stay friends that I would just have to agree to being just friends and nothing more. After that he came with me to my house to see my parents and just hung out and reminisce about the past and how everyone was. We ended the day at the gun range with my dad letting boys be boys, and of course I couldn't let them think I didn't know how to target shoot.
By Aimie Boquet7 years ago in Humans
We Lived in an Apartment Complex Sauna
Every now and again I search for the girl that took me under her wing when I lived on the streets so many years ago. Lawrie was a huge part of my life for a short period of time. It might have been 6 months give or take, but it felt… feels like 10 years. I don’t remember how we met, I only remember that she became my “family” in an instant; I even took on her alias last name making us official cousins to anyone who would ask. We were 2 girls, 14 and ? on the inside, 19 and 24 on the outside. We lived homeless floating between cocaine houses and apartment complex saunas.
By Marnie Grundman7 years ago in Humans
Toxic Friendships
During our lifetime, we will have many friendships. Some may stick around while some might just be for a little bit. As humans, we like to have a connection to others whether it be friendship or a romantic relationship. Sometimes, though, a friendship could be just as toxic as a bad romantic relationship; it will also hurt just as bad.
By Camille Ballentine7 years ago in Humans
5 Tips for Reconnecting with an Old Friend
The Back Story I do not own the rights to this photo. Kari and I were pretty close. We worked together five days a week and had a blast every shift. We would get together after work and go dancing. We confided in one another.
By Amidst the Sunset7 years ago in Humans
Best Friend 'til the End!
June 2000 was the first month that I met one of the people that would soon become my very best friend. At this point I am 6-years-old and moving into a new house with my family and know no one. Our house was the first one on the back end of our street but there were houses behind it. Little did I know that my best friend would be literally in my backyard. His name was Bradley. He was only 2 at the time but our parents soon became very close and so did we. Wherever I was, there was Bradley and wherever Bradley was, there I was. He and I would spend almost everyday playing together going between each other's houses, being kids and playing like kids did before technology took over our lives. My dad wanted to get a dog but the rule my mom had was that he could only do it if he put up a fence. To a kid, this fence meant that getting to my friend would become a little harder. It wasn't until the very last day that my dad was putting up the fence that he had a surprise for Bradley and I. A gate. Now you may be thinking, "Oh wow a gate, big whoop," but to a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old it was a very big deal. This gate was put in especially for us, able to be opened from both sides so that we could get to each other. Boy did we use it! He would come knock on my window every morning even before anyone in either house was awake, just because he wanted to play and we didn't want to wait for our parents to wake up. The beauty of the gate. Fast forward a year and our worlds were turned upside down. One morning, something was different. I didn't get the little taps at my window. My best friend didn't come to get me to go play. I was confused. Something was wrong. I went to my parents' room and woke up my dad. I told him Bradley didn't come to my window. His reasoning with me was that maybe he was sleeping in, or his parents took him on a trip somewhere. Well it wasn't until later in the day we got the news. My parents sat me down and tried the best that they could to explain something so terrible to a then 7-year-old.
By Aimie Boquet7 years ago in Humans
It's OK to Be Selfish
I’ve never really been a selfish person, until this year. I had always, always, always, put everyone else’s needs before my own. I realized that by doing that, I’ve been unfair to myself. Now, I’m not saying that I don’t care about other people, because I do. All I am saying is that I’ve started caring about myself a little bit more. I’ve noticed that some of those people who I used to “drop everything and run” for aren’t doing the same for me. Why should I continue to put in the same effort for them, if they are no longer going to be there for me? I never used to be like this, and part of me actually feels guilty for putting myself before others, but it’s something that I have to do. I’m the only one who can really make things happen in my life. I’m the only one who will always be there to stick up for and defend myself. No one else can be there for me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I’ve been noticing more and more who will be there for me and who won’t. My circle of trust and circle of friends is getting smaller and smaller. I didn’t think I’d be OK with that, but I’m learning to adapt.
By Pamela Dirr7 years ago in Humans
