Three Cheers

They say a man is known by the company he keeps. That's an easy statement to 'not' defend. I have all kinds of friends -- many and still counting, so you can't define me :)

When in school, my folks always chided me for two things: for taking part in every damn extra curricular activity (my best excuse for bunking classes, of course) -- from flower arrangements to running marathons with my stick-like figure, which had my mom coming to see me with glucouse energy drinks on one or two occasions; and for whiling away most of my time with friends. While the former activity subsided with time, my second habbit grew from bad to worse, and friends multiplied in numbers with the years.

I once watched an interview of Smriti Irani or Tulsi of the Kyon Ki Saas Bhi Bahu Thi fame. She appeared strong headed and intelligent but her one sentence on how she had no friends and how she could do without one because her husband was the 'be all and end all' of her life put me off. She is, of course, entitled to live her life the way she wants but I couldn't imagine how on earth one could live without friends. It's so absolutely necessary to bring a semblance of sanity in life. I mean I can't imagine not living without being connected to friends -- taking a long walk together or meeting over for a cup of coffee, potla and discussing lipsticks, dresses, love life, people, family, jobs, a bad day et al. The topic is endless. I mean it's not that I meet my friends everyday but the fact that they are there in my life brings a smile on my face. Cliche but true.

Sometimes, people say friendships built in school and childhood days are the best and last forever. True but the same hold true for friendships formed at a later stage too. When I was in the university I often thought I couldnt survive without my group of eight. But as it turns out, we all drifted apart driven by options of career and marriage and while we do keep in touch, some have chosen to settle into total oblivion in far away places. I have school friends too who stay in touch with me to date but I can't say that friendship is the best because our association goes back to antiquity.

Some of my funny and best friendships are with friends I met post college, post university and post my 'Victorian prude' days. This is not to say that X friend is better than Y friend, each is unique in his/her ways but the level of friendship and comfort differs. By this, I mean because I have met the later friends at a later stage, the maturity and depth is more in terms of understanding and sharing of past and present experiences.

Well, while I revel in friendships, my mom always had a grouse. Whenever I visited home, she would get mad about the fact that the phone never stopped ringing and that I skipped most of her 'thoughtfully prepared' lunches and dinners because my friends would be hosting me. I guess it is not a common grouse for anyone like me! Three cheers to friendship!