Friends can be a Hassle
Friends can occasionally be a hassle, especially if you have internal difficulties (David, 1992: 142).
Friendship in College
In college, Cynthia was a good friend of mine. Like regular close friends, we enjoyed going to the movies, singing along, taking long drives, and attending parties. We both had good financial standing when we were in college, so we never had any trouble getting the things we desired. Despite not having much money, we had enough to get along well on campus. At the time, we received parental support, which helped us accumulate more money. Unfortunately, Cynthia’s light started to shine brighter than mine around the end of college. She got a highly paying job that caused her to change her lifestyle to a great extent.
The Shift in Our Friendship
While she continued to thrive, I began to shrink into depression as none of my attempts to secure a job succeeded. My depression was not the only thing that weighed me down but the changes in our friendship. We could no longer hang out at our normal joints as my friend wanted to go to expensive restaurants. Since I could not pay for the expensive restaurants, most of the time I would just turn down any offer or activities with Cynthia. Slowly we fell apart and eventually stopped talking.
Rekindling the Friendship
“Close relationships do indeed promote health,” a quote from David (1992: 143) book, 'the friendship factor,' reminded me of the good and great memories we made with Cynthia before the differences set in. Since I had already settled my financial situation, I no longer felt bad about her lifestyle. I made a decision to visit her with the hope of breaking the silence. I called her and asked if I could visit. Her reaction to my call was priceless. I could feel her excitement as she invited me over to her place. We spent a day together and went on to play tennis that evening. Following the experience, I felt better, and my relationship with my friend will help improve my health as we plan to get on more activities that we both love.
References
Myerr, David. The friendship factor. (1992). Pdf
