Relationships are a funny thing. I am not really speaking about relationships in terms of dating or the kind you have define in any way, but the ones that are constantly rolling through your life as you live it. Retrospectively, its difficult to tell if most of them were superficial or if most of them were profoundly impactful. This is a rather difficult concept for me to reflect upon, being an extremely independant and closed person. I look to my sides and back and wonder where everyone went? Its rather weird how involved I’ve been with people and how that constantly changes now.
Starting from high school, I only had one person who I was close friends with all four years. I had a group of friends by my senior year, and I was a socialite so I was really “friends” with everyone, but by the time graduation rolled around, there was truly only one person I would still be in touch with in a few years. College was the same way. I never really developed a core group of friends until my senior year, and there’s one, maybe two that I still talk to. Here in Atlanta, I feel so lost. I defined so much of my friendship through a previous girlfriend, and when that relationship ended, so did many of those friendships. Stupid, Chris. I then proceeded to find companionship in the students I was ministering to, who were looking for friendship as much as I was. That also makes for a sticky situation when trying to mentor those same “friends.” I do not doubt their authenticity in wanting to be companions, but where are my peers? Where are those who are 26 and just as lost as I am? How do I meet these individuals?
Even now, I know I have been doing the same again. I’ve been dating a girl and in the process (as all dating relationships tend to do), I’ve given less time to friends for the past few months. Now, I have a small handful here in town that I would definitely call friends and I am so thankful they are in my life. I just want something that is deep and meaningful. Something that is such a profound connection, that it would be the type person or people that we can still call at 60 and know that the other person would be there for you. Where are those as lost as I am?
