Day 10: Friends - Real friends vs. online friends
Someone ones said that life is like a train journey. Passengers get on and off, some stay a while, with others we only have a brief encounter. I assume that those who stay a while can be called friends.
During my train journey, I’ve met a few ‘passengers’ and each of them has played a significant role in my life. Let’s take a look at them, although for privacy reasons I’ll change their names.
Angela
Angela was my very first friend. We met in grade 1 and remained friends throughout our school years. We were thick as thieves and shared just about everything. Upon graduation, we swore to stay friends forever. When we said goodbye, we didn’t know at the time that it would be a farewell, we never saw each other again.
Gary
Gary was my first male friend. He was not my boyfriend, there was no physical attraction. With Gary, I had long and deep conversations, about anything and everything, but especially about space and religion. We lost touch when we both got married. Many years later, after we both got divorced, we connected again, but it’s hard to keep up a friendship with an ocean between us.
Joanne
Joanne walked into my house and into my life at just the right time. I was at the lowest point in my life and she was there, not as a shoulder to cry on, but as a sounding board. She had a way of putting things into perspective and making me see things a different way. Over numerous cups of tea and slices of pizza she picked me up and made me see that I could face the world on my own.
Rita
Around the same time as I met Joanne, I met Rita. While Joanne was building me up emotionally, Rita took care of me financially. She didn't give me money, she got me something better ... a job. And not just any job, but the best job I’ve ever had. I got hired by the most prestigious company in Johannesburg, worked with the most fabulous boss and colleagues, for a salary that made me financially independent.
Online friends
And then there are my online friends. Men and women whom I have never met, and most likely will never meet. Some are right here in Canada, others in the States, Europe and as far away as Australia. We share the good, the bad, the scary and the ridiculous. We share ordinary things, exchange helpful hints and every now and then, we vent about something. You know what they say, a shared sorrow is half a sorrow. So, while some might say that these people aren’t real friends, they are very real to me. Every single one of them has enriched my life.
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