Suppose you woke up one morning and aside from family, none of your friends remember who you are? You go to work, and your coworkers introduce themselves to you. You observe a group of your closest friends talking with each other just like normal. However, when you approach them, they either ignore you entirely, ask if they know you, or animatedly introduce themselves (whichever suits their personalities.)
I wonder what kind of advantages & disadvantages a clean slate would bring. My friends know me well because I grew up through high school with them and played in a band with them. But they also know my quirks to a tee. How would they act around me with no prior knowledge to refer to? Could similar relationships be re-built?
With all expectational matters aside, I wonder if it's possible to meet a best friend for the first time. Think about that statement for a minute. Do you believe in love at first sight? Is this the same? I think friendships paradoxically resemble romantic relationships, only because opposites do indeed attract, but groups of friends often resemble each each other, though obvious polarity still exists within the group. So what does that have to do with meeting people?
Perhaps groups of friends work only over time, after trial and error. For example... I doubt I could get in good with my group of friends if I had to do it on my own effort now. Circumstances provided an optimal discipleship environment for us to grow together in and even though I am weird as heck, they still love me, oddities included.
So the conclusion I reach from these observations is that you can't find a bestie in a day. It seems obvious now that I'm stating it, but I have proven it for my own sake. Now the problem lies in finding the qualities in people I know now that will grow into reliable positive tendencies later on--I haven't a clue where to start on this one.
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This reminds me of my friendship with Jenny Nelson. We met in middle school. Our only commonality was that neither of us were particularly "cool." First part of high school, we were both irritated with each other, but after time and individual growth, we became real friends, and five years after meeting, we actually started trusting each other and appreciating each other for who we are.
I like thinking about relationships like this. I like thinking about how the random person we passed two Tuesdays ago might play an important role in our life later on down the road. I like thinking about how some of Brandon's friends whose Xangas I stalked in high school have now become some of my best friends. I think about how the quirky, snarky Alaskan friend of Brandon's is now my maid of honor at my wedding. I think about how the boy who randomly appeared that otherwise insignificant evening three years ago (this week!) would later become my husband. It's overwhelming and awe-inspiring. :)
I miss you, BINH.
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