Guy Time
This blog was inspired by a conversation I had with a brother and sister, Isaac and Ellen, who have both helped me ride my bike. It should be noted that a common diversion during my bike rides is watching a movie. The three of us were discussing movies and while the siblings were bickering over which genres constituted worthy movie choices, I found that there were films I enjoyed that I had in common with both of them. If it is not obvious, while I had abundant common ground with each of the siblings, they had very little, if any, with each other. My ability to bond equally with the dueling duo got me thinking about how I am able to get my fill of all genres by simply dividing my bike riding/TV viewing time amongst a few different folks. For example, I geek out with my cousin watching sci-fi and fantasy, I was able to introduce Ellen to all the awesome 80s movies and romantic comedies that predated her generation, while Isaac gave me an opportunity to get a little “fast and furious” while riding into the “danger zone.”
This battle of the siblings was the beginning of a journey through a rabbit hole about the diversity of friendships life has to offer. Ellen and Isaac's differing taste in movies conforms to pretty stereotypical gender lines, which was where my journey started. As much as I love hanging out with my girlfriends, sometimes I just need “guy time.” I have always had a good mix of male and female friends, because I find the balance refreshing. But the different types of friendships I have are not limited by gender alone. I have friends from a variety of different demographics, and appreciate the unique perspectives each of them has, whether it be because of age, gender, or the million other categorical distinctions one could list.
Each of my friendships fulfills a different need and/or interest in my life.
I have a fairly diverse range of interests, whether they pertain to music, movies, books, activities, or food, some of which exist in apparent, utter, and complete contradiction with other interests of mine. Perhaps I am an enigma, a paradox, or one giant contradiction, but perhaps we all are! The human mind and personality are infinitely complex. What is normal? Besides boring, I do not really know and highly doubt if "normal" exists.
At the end of the day, no single relationship is going to be completely fulfilling. There are some activities that certain friends are better suited to than others. This may result from the nature of our relationship, or the personal preferences of each person, but I find that each of my friendships fulfills a different need and/or interest in my life. There are times when life gets hard and I want to vent about it, there are others when I need advice, I may need to just have fun, and sometimes I just want to hang with the guys.
Having a variety of friends with different interests, ideas, and opinions, has taught me that each individual has something to offer. We can broaden our horizons and learn from everyone if we are open to appreciating their unique gifts. To all of my friends, thank you for enriching my life.
Variety is the spice of life and you have found that to be true.
So fun to hear your opinions on life.
Gods blessings 😊
Loa, you present the case of different friendships fulfilling different needs very well. Growing up, my family moved 15 times. I had to adapt to a different set of friends each time. While it was somewhat difficult, I grew from the experiences and learned quite a bit! Everyone has a special gift 💝