Friends

I've been thinking about this
Post
for a very long time.

In this lifetime,

if you can count one person as a true friend throughout your life, you have won the game.

I have been extremely fortunate because I have had three so far.

Let me clarify something first.

Family
and a
Spouse
are not included in this category.

If you have been lucky enough to be born in a loving family,

are brought up where chivalry is what it takes to be a good human being,

married the right person,

and you bring your children up to also be good human beings,

you have a very special life already.

For most,

having one,

two,

or three out of four,

is all we can expect.

And the person who believes in the saying,

"Those who die with the most toys wins!"

Is a fool.

True Happiness
is not how much money you make
or how many worldly possessions you can collect.

True Happiness
comes from being around the people you love
and the people who love you.

So,

someone like me,

who is lucky enough to have three of the virtues I mentioned above, having a lifelong friend would fill the void left by the one virtue I am missing.

I have one friend I've known for over thirty years who is a good friend,
not a great friend anymore because of my past transgressions,

but a good one nonetheless.

In 2012 I lost what I would consider my best friend in my later years due to his untimely death.

And the third person,

who was my best friend through the worst part of my
drug-addiction-alcoholic life,

I eventually pushed his friendship away too.

Not because he still drank alcohol
or anything like that.

So two out of the three friends,
that stood by me most of my life,

are no longer close to me due to my habitual poor judgement while I was intoxicated.
Burned a few bridges,
as they say.

I miss my good friend
Jeff Keyes
dearly,
who died unexpectedly.

He was my sole supporter through some dark days after I became disable.

He was also disabled,

but never once did he ever say to me,

"Why me."

I love you man.

I miss the close friendship I had with
Bob Hanson.

The person who convinced me to move to
California
in the first place.

Need I say more.

I will.

If I hadn't moved to California I would never have had the seven wonderful children I have today.

Thanks Bob.

And I miss the special bond I once had with
Scott Strichko.

I barely have the chance to talk to him these days.

Maybe once
or twice a year if I'm lucky.

He doesn't know this,

but if he hadn't shown me that if you are going to drink
and smoke pot,
letting your life fall apart is unacceptable.

I function in life,

throughout my life,

because I had to function for my family.

And when smoking
and drinking got in the way,
I was strong enough to quit so I could raise my family properly.

Scott taught me that by his actions,
of not letting those things interfere with his life.

Thanks Buddy.

Now I want to thank those guys for being in my life.

You three have been an inspiration to me
and I'm a better person today for having known you all.

Thank you

Jeff, Bob, and Scott.

This is,
And You Thought This Post Was Going To Be About The TV Show Called Friends
James Hauenstein,

And,

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”
- Elbert Hubbard -  

That is my story and I am sticking to it!

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