Different Lives, Different Friends . . .

It is my birthday.  If you are keeping score, number 54.  Doesn't feel like 54, doesn't even feel like 34 - but, that's another blog entry for later :-).

What it does make me realize is that my friends on Facebook cover at least three lifetimes for me.  There is the high school/church music director lifetime that went until December, 1987 -- there is the retail management lifetime that went until 1997ish . . . and then, there is the current social services lifetime.  My friends transcend them all.  There are people from each incarnation. 

Now, there HAVE been others.  People who remembered, and "friended" me.  And, immediately "unfriended" me.  You see - I didn't fit any more. 

Friendship - I mean TRUE friendship - is the acknowledgement that we like each other - whether or not we agree on everything or not. 

I know why some people ditched my friendship.  My life hits too close to the parts of theirs that they don't like.  Either they ARE me, to some degree - or they married me (to some degree).  I get it :-)

I appreciate the others - the ones who stay even though I don't fit the rest of  their profile of friends :-) . . . these are the people I'd trust with my very life! 

I am a lucky person.  I have lived life in a very full way, in very many directions!  I have landed in a different place than many of my friends.  I have always said - I'd prefer a good, intelligent conversation with someone who disagrees with me on an issue than to have one with someone who agrees with me.  I like being challenged and I like challenging.  I always learn something at the end of the day.

So, to my friends who remain - thank you.  I know why we became friends in the first place!  To the others - I just hope it is only your "friends" that challenge your values - I hope it is never your kids.  That would be a tragedy.

So, another birthday!  A chance to remember friends in Alexander City, Alabama - DeFuniak Springs, Florida, New Orleans, Louisiana - Louisville, Kentucky - San Francisco, California - Lisbon, Portugal - Santiago, Chile - Montreal, Quebec Canada - Huntsville (Harvest) Alabama - Valley, Alabama - Philadelphia, PA . . . I am fortunate because I know you.

J