Friends A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

 

Friends are the family we choose for ourselves. We become connected by common interests or something happens to throw us together. I’m lucky to have long-lasting and some life-long friends. I value very highly the times we share together. We laugh, we reminisce and collectively, we can remind each other of any bits we forget, especially now we are ‘grown ups.’

Last week, I enjoyed lunch out with three friends. We met at work in 1974. We joined at different times that year, as teenagers, and we’ve been together ever since. Life and work took us in different directions and away from each other, but we’ve always stayed connected. It’s great to get together and catch up. Three of us hit seventy last year, and the other one not too far behind, so knees, hips and general health come into the conversation. We laughed at a joke that we’d all collapsed over circa 1975, when a colleague had to escape the office before the punchline – she was laughing so much and a superior staff member was there – we didn’t want to get into trouble. We were the mostly well-behaved generation doing as we were told by seniors. I can’t remember exactly how long we worked together, but it was many fantastic years. One day, we each wrote down where we thought we’d be in ten years’ time. I think it was a small note book that got passed round. Our individual paragraphs will have been hilarious, and I don’t know what happened to the evidence, but ten years passed and we were still there. All good things come to an end and one by one we spread our wings but remain forever friends. And eventually, our lunch came to an end, after food, drinks and more drinks. An hour became two, then suddenly it was half past four and the sun was sliding down behind the trees. Farewell, until next time.

“This, too, will pass.” I’ve been the needy one for a while due to some tough times. Every day, I’ve been thankful for messages from friends checking in on me with good wishes, advice and offers of help. They keep me smiling and working towards better times. Reliable, trustworthy, caring people. These are my friends, small in number, but top quality. I know I’m privileged. I also know that it is important to be a good friend in return. My gang can rely on me to be there for them.

I found this poem,

Friends for Life 

We are friends
I got your back
You got mine,
I’ll help you out
Anytime!
To see you hurt
To see you cry
Makes me weep
And wanna die
And if you agree
To never fight
It wouldn’t matter

Who’s wrong or right
If a broken heart
Needs a mend
I’ll be right there
Till the end
If your cheeks are wet
From drops of tears
Don’t worry
Let go of your fears
Hand in hand
Love is sent,
We’ll be friends
Till the end!!!

Angelica N. Brissett (b.1991)

Thanks for reading, Pam x

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Never do with one hand, what you can put off till Thursday.

As humans we can be very interesting things. As sheep and badgers we are just doggers taking part in some very filthy sex stuff. But as humans, being humans we are very interesting.

We have the capacity for great kindness, and devastating cruelty. We can create and build thing to improve the lives of all around us, and build devices to tear asunder all that has been placed before us. We can think of the simplest solutions to the most complex of problems, and we can mess everything up by not think at all.

Never do with one hand, what you can put off till Thursday.

Stop, take a moment. Is using one hand the only solution? Does this need to be solved right now? Will taking a little bit of time be a better job?

When writing the temptation is always there to rush, to 'use one hand' instead of climbing down the ladder, moving it across and climbing up it again to use both hands without you falling off and looking like a twat.

Being able to multitask, work with one hand, spin many plates with the other, doesn't mean you actually have to. One of the biggest things I hear when talking about writing is "I don't have the time" or "I have to write in-between other things."

My point, and I do have one hidden in here somewhere, is that in are busy lives we have more time than we think. If we just sit back a little and stopped stressing about it we can get things done. Not everything has to be decided immediately.

We live in a world where we demand too much, and as a consequence we can not give enough attention to the things that are important to us.

Slow down a very small amount, stop trying to do things with one hand and give it the attention it deserves. Plan ahead and don't let other people push in on that plan.

You can achieve so much more with a deep breath and cup of tea than you ever can leaning across trying to tighten that last screw when off balance.

Writing is a discipline, it requires planning, it deserves time. So don't just go chucking in 5 minuets here and there everyday with no thought, one handed scribbling that you will hate. Plan to give yourself 40 minutes quality two handed writing on a Thursday.

Because your work is worth it.

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