Friendship between men, women, single, attached, married, neighbors, coworkers and a whole slew of other social arrangements––human dynamic as multidimensional as an MRI––is perplexing.
Since we honor veterans on November 11, what about friendships in the military? Very intense, especially in war––which is unequivocal hell. People generally die for their buddies as their first allegiance but Duty, Honor and Country certainly underscore the sacrifice of these heroes.
Having said all this, what exactly is the established protocol for dealing with friends? Are there rules of engagement or are they tailored depending on the friend? Communication, for example. A call every month to check in? Once a year? What if I’m an introvert and you’re not. What if I don’t like talking on the phone? Moreover, when someone says, “Call me,” why don’t they call you? What about holidays, birthdays and special events? Is a face-to-face necessary?
It seems then that conduct between friends should be organic, free-flowing, dependent on circumstances and never rigid. Throw in the requisite love with a dash of forgiveness here and there, and I think we have it nailed.
Nevertheless, should we have limited expectations?
