The Blog Less Traveled

One of my most prized possessions is the little stuffed animal you see on the left. It used to be a very bright pink but after 17 years of exposure to the sun, it’s faded quite a bit. It was the first Christmas present I ever got from my daughter. She was in 1st grade at the time and I think it cost her a whole dollar. The elementary school she attended had a bunch of items that the kids could buy for Christmas gifts. I think it was during the period of time when the “Land Before Time” dinosaur videos were popular. She probably thought it was the coolest present you could ever give to someone. I imagine I acted pretty excited for her when I opened it up.

Pinkie has pretty much been on display in my office at home or work since then. I can’t say that it fits too well with the other office décor. Pink is NOT a real great men’s color! I probably won’t be getting any calls in the near future to be on the cover of Interior Design Magazine, either. However, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s funny how little things or events that didn’t seem all that important at the time have a lot more meaning as time passes by. I’ve gotten some nice gifts from my daughter since then, but none will probably be more memorable than Pinkie.

“It’s the friends you can call up at 4 AM that matter.” Marlene Dietrich

I was thinking of what to write about the other day and the idea of friendship came to mind. Originally, I was going to call it 3am Friends but when I googled the term, I found that someone had beat me to it. Then I googled 4am Friends and, lo and behold, the above quote popped up. I guess I wasn’t going to be too original after all.

Growing up, we make and break friendships as a normal course of events. Having moved around so much during my lifetime, short-term friendships were a fact of life. You usually have good intentions of keeping them up after you move away. You call them up or email them and sometimes make a trip back to visit. Eventually, however, the friendship just seems to fade away. It’s not that you didn’t value the friendship, but separation and your current state of affairs tends to consume you.

If you’re lucky enough, you’ll meet someone that will become a true 4am friend. You value their opinion and judgment. They’re the ones that you can say almost anything to and they won’t prejudge you. You’re comfortable opening up and feel safe in their company. They’ll listen, try to understand your problem or situation and offer encouragement or guidance, if needed. These are very special people and you should feel fortunate if you know one.

In today’s world, we seem to be growing apart from others even as the world gets closer to us. Technology brings us to all corners of the Earth and any kind of information is ours with just a few short keystrokes. When you start looking back at life, the only things that seem to have real meaning are the relationships that you’ve made with your family and friends. All the other stuff is just noise.

The next time you’re with a friend or family member, try to give them a little extra time. Are you a 4am friend?