Not Just Friends
By Bud E. Freud
Most of us have very few “best friends” throughout
our lives. These are friends who are loyal to us through good times and bad.
They are people who accept us completely (warts and all) and who know our most
secret thoughts. But we have contact with many others whose relationships with
us may be less deep but are still important. What would our lives be without
these acquaintances, buddies, and dear old friends?
ACQUAINTANCES. These are
people whose paths often cross ours. We attend the same school committee
meetings or share a car pool with them. Acquaintances may exchange favors
easily. The neighbor who borrows your chairs for a big party or the colleague
who water your plants while you’re on vacation fits this category. But we usually
don’t get too intimate with them. One woman commented, “Our next-door neighbor,
who carpools with us, is very nice. But we don’t anything in common. We never
get together for anything but car pool.”
BUDDIES. A lot of people have a friend who shares
a particular activity or interest. These usually aren’t close relationships,
but they’re important ones that keep us connected to our interests and hobbies.
Because they’re based on activities rather than feelings, it’s relatively easy
to make a new buddy. One foreign-exchange student reported, “For the first two
months I was here, I didn’t have any real friends. My table-tennis partner,
who’s from Beijing, was my only social contact. We couldn’t communicate in
English very well, but we had a good time anyway. Without him, I would have
been completely isolated.”
OLD FRIENDS. “Delores knew me when I worked in the
mailroom,” recalls an advertising executive. “I’ll never forget this day. The
vice president who promoted me called me for an interview. I didn’t have the
right clothes, and Delores was the one who came with me to buy my first
business suit.” We all have old friends who knew us “back when.” They keep us
in touch with parts of ourselves which are easy to lose as we move through
life. “Whenever I go home, I always visit Delores,” recalls the executive. “We
look through old photo albums and talk about experiences that have helped from
us. She always reminds me how shy I used to be. I agree with George Herbert,
who said that the best mirror is an old friend.”
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DEFINITIONS
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A.
Match the words on the left with the
descriptions on the right.
1. acquaintance
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a.
This person is married to you.
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2. album
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b.
This event brings people together after a long
separation.
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3. soul
mate
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c.
This relationship exists between friends.
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4. colleague
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d.
This person is your husband’s or wife’s
relative.
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5. confidant
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e.
This person knows you but is not a close
friend.
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6. empathy
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f.
This feeling lets you experience another
person’s feelings.
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7. friendship
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g.
This person is very similar to you in thought
and feeling.
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8. in-law
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h.
This book has pages for saving photos.
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9. reunion
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i.
This person listens to your private feelings
and thoughts.
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10. spouse
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j.
This person has the same job or profession as
you.
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B.
|
|
1. An acquaintance is a person
who knows you but is not a close friend.
2. ________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________________________
7. ________________________________________________________________________
8. ________________________________________________________________________
9. ________________________________________________________________________
10. ________________________________________________________________________
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