Friend or Acquaintance

I am sure it has happened to all of us at one time or another in our lifetimes. We have all these so called BEST BUDS or BEST FRIENDS who we take underneath our wings and confide in and share our friendships with.

After being a shop owner for the past 10 years I have developed many friends and alot of acquaintances too. I seem to be one of those people who attract nutty and weird people and I do not know why or how this happens. I can go to a party or event and the strangest people come up to me and befriend me, by the time the event is over I could be on my way to writing a book on these peoples lives, Not only do they befriend me, they clue me in on everything that has happened to them in their lifetimes, I know what they had for breakfast, dinner last night and last week as well. Like I said I do not understand why this happens, I had a shrink who shopped at my shop on occasion and I asked him about this problem one day while he was browsing in the shop. He explained it as a real thing and told me I do not imagine it and that it is my aura, shining brightly for the world to see and it in turn attracts people to me and they then have a need to open up to me and tell me all about things that I do not need to know. Aura, Karma, whatever, I wish it would go away. This shrink then said to me * I am a fool with a lot of money and I do make a great date."

I have a girlfriend who has been to marriage counseling and who has been to counseling for every thing you can imagine. She gets so mad at me for telling her that I do not believe in shrinks or counselors. I do not think that a person who has studied a book can help me in my real life. That counselor has never been in my shoes, lived my live, and cannot get inside my mind to see how I am feeling. The only help for me is myself and I would have to want the help in order for it to benefit me. My friend on the other hand keeps trying to feel better with an educated opinion of someone else other than depending on herself for the help. I have seen her go to many shrinks and counselors and nothing ever seems to get resolved for her.

Back to the friend thing, Have you ever had a friend who wants to be only your friend and he or she only wants you to have him or her as your only friend? They seem to get jealous if you have anyone else in their presence. I have never understood this and never will. I like to have lots of friends and feel the more the merrier.

My used to be best friend from high school was the one friend that I thought I would have a good friendship with forever. We were together with our husbands almost every weekend until about 10 years ago. Then the time in my life that I really needed her friendship she was definitely not there for me. My husband suffered a serious illness and was in the hospital for months due to a stroke, He was in a wheelchair for many months afterwards. My best friend called and showed concern but never once did she come to visit him in the hospital or at our home while he was in the wheelchair. When I opened up my gift shop she also never one time came to see it or wish me well. Every week I would get an invite to bring him to her house for dinner and to visit. I would tell her that It was to complicated to get him in and out of the car and that he would do much better at our house, that she should come to our house to visit, she always had an excuse and I think she must have finally gotten the message that I thought she was very selfish, and inconsiderate and she finally stopped calling at all. This is a best friend alright.

I met another so called best friend who was a good customer at my gift shop, over the years we became quite close and I thought we would always be friends. Well she had a lousy marriage and I wish I had a quarter for all the stories and listening I did through the years about her lousy husband. I suppose miracles do happen and somehow they got back on track with their relationship and put the marriage back together with much help from the little blue pill that men take. Guess what happened then???

Although I was very happy for her as I knew that she had been hoping to get their problems resolved for quite a long time. Her husband decided that she didn't need to have any friends now, just him. A grown man became jealous of our friendship and worst of all she let him. I told her that when things blow up and she needs me to be her friend again, to listen to all that crap again, that I definitely will not be there for her.....

Another good friend who becomes a past acquaintance. Last but not least I am sure that you have all had a friend like this next one.

You are best buds, you do nice things for each other and can talk about anything and everything. The good friend goes and does something really stupid and inconsiderate, they know when they do this that you are going to be upset with them, so rather than face the music they who have done the stupid thing that they know will piss you off, gets mad at you because they have done the wrong thing.

Think about it. Friend or Acquaintance? A true friend is always a part of your life whether it be good times or bad times.A true friend is there for you no matter what may happen. A true friend takes your feelings into consideration. they are not selfish only thinking about themselves or about what might benefit them, A true friend certainly will not do stupid things to piss you off and then get mad at you because of something they did by choice. A true friend will not owe you $ that you loaned to them weeks ago and avoid the issue by not keeping in touch or returning your calls.

I hope all my best friends out there get to read this. There is no need to bring up names

as you know who you are.

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