Which Three Friends should you Fire...?

I am fortunate to have many friends, some I have known for years, others I am just getting acquainted with – but all of them have an effect and the ability to change the way I think, and all them are here for a reason...

Friends in Need...

 

The first three friends I want to introduce you to are those that I met as a child. They were introduced to me by my parents and would show up unannounced on a Sunday afternoon just before dinner, or on a Thursday or Tuesday morning before I left for school.

They had been friends of the family for years and brought gifts with them each time they visited. Alcohol, Tobacco and Codeine were their favourite although Caffeine, Chocolate & Roter Tablets made frequent appearances too.

When they visited us, it would end up in a row, they always seemed to overstay their welcome; I remember sitting at the top of the stairs listening to the arguments they caused, flinching when my name was mentioned and searching to put sense into the conversation.

When they finally left, the world kept turning and another day dawned, life carried on and nothing much changed; their prophecies of doom continually shown for what they really were - meaningless reflections of anger and regret...

As I grew older, the relationship with these three friends became closer, more familiar and increasingly abusive. I began to recognise them at school, through TV reporters, Soap Opera actors and the tabloid press.

They surrounded and suffocated me, and whilst initially I never knew when they would show up, however, as their visits and visibility became more frequent, I became able to predict their arrival with certainty.

They would regularly show up, either individually or in a group, at around 03.15 in the morning, waking me with chatter and noise, keeping me alert until sunrise when finally they submitted to sleep induced fading. 

I made them welcome and invite them to stay, make them Tea, or Toast and a Bagel, engaging in dialogue and discussion – the addictive melancholy of soothing of voices in distress.

These friends are called Fear, Worry and Doubt…

Friends in Deed...

The next three friends I want to introduce you to are those I have chosen to seek out, they are aloof and haughty; careful of who they associate with and transient at will. I first met them in books, paintings, poems and songs; they hinted at a different life full of possibilities and potential.

They were introduced to me by Lynn, my wife and best friend, who takes them with her wherever she goes, illuminating my otherwise darkened path.

They appeared to me in speeches and posters, in records at College, in the Pub and even on the train from Ponders End to Liverpool St. They live in the Green Belt, the Stars and the Moon, they thrive in obscurity and are mocked, ignored and despised by some. 

Although we may be dazzled by the light that they promise, their traces and whispers can be seen in our deepest desires and the obscure hope that tomorrow will be better - but these friends arrive by invitation only...

I have now discovered I can make them appear at will; I can invite them round for conversation and discussion. They come when I want and allow me to sleep, affecting my dreams their memories to keep.  

They bring with them gifts of abundance, potential and laughter. They bring the sunrise and the sunset, chilled Champagne and purpose with passion; they give meaning to adventure and the continued promise of fulfilment. 

They are, however, hard task masters and their continued presence depends upon the compulsory action that has to be taken towards the future they promise; in their shadows lurk the others ready to replace them should they be disappointed and we allow them to evaporate into the ether from which they were created.

These friends are called Love, Success and Opportunity…

The Choice...

There is an old proverb that suggests that there are two Tigers in our minds. One is the Tiger of Love, Success and Opportunity; the other is the Tiger of Fear, Worry and Doubt.

They are locked in a fight for control of our emotions, and the question we are asked is simple – which one is destined to win…?

The answer is simple too – whichever one we choose to feed…

Choose your Friends Carefully; they could stay with you for Life...

Thanks for reading - David.

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