Growing up we develop the notion that the more friends we have, the better we are. You grew up believing that you wanted to be popular or at least well liked in grade school throughout high school and college. Sure, we make lifelong friends along the way. Some friend groups even remain close for the rest of their lives. But for the majority of people, life happens.
I can count on one hand the amount of people that I talk to at least once a year from my graduating class. Does that mean I never think about them on the random occasion? No. My friend group in high school was the best. All of us had different ambitions that led us in different directions. We never seemed to think of it as a bad thing. Moving off to college was when I saw my circle begin to shrink.
My first day in my dorm was awkward as hell, just like any other freshman moving on campus. It's going to be awkward when you move in with two dudes that you've never met before. The one thing we had in common was why we were there. To play golf. After a trip to Burger King and some Tiger Woods on Xbox, it was like we'd known each other for months. That became my circle. After some unfortunate events, I moved back home for a bit.
This was a dark period because I realized that my friends from my home town were all gone or busy, and there I was. I was dealing with my grandmother's health declining and trying to figure out where life was going to take me. When I picked up my job back at the golf course I'd worked at all through high school, I started getting reacquainted with some friends that were a year or two behind me in high school. Thus started the development of my new circle. Even during the times of moving around, couch surfing and other adventures we remained close.
Fast forward to today. The natural, phases of life have taken us down different paths. We still talk quite regularly, if not almost daily. They're always there for me and I'll always be there for them. My old man was onto something when he said, "Your circle will get smaller as you age. But the ones that remain in it are the ones you'll truly need in it." I'd be nowhere without the multiple circles that I've been apart of. Friendships come and go, but they all teach us something.
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