FRIENDS AND YOU by Chinkhanmuan Samte
A true friend is someone who thinksthat you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked -Bernard Meltzer

Do you ever think what a friend means ? Obviously, we think and know who a friend is! We can easily differentiate between friends who are good, smart and who really cares. Friends are of different typesAll though we've never list down it typologically. But we automatically keeps in the mind what kind of friends do we have. Being a social animal, living in the socialized and civilized world, we need a friend or more, as the tasks that was laid in the human hand is tough, that a single person could not live for himself nor her herself, neither be isolated. The policy of isolationism could never have great extension by far. So, we are interdependent to one another, living and sharing together. As a result, we are linked by different domains of rationality, like friendship bond, father/mother bond, brotherhood, etc. We are surges toward by our incapability to lead live together socially. No human being can stay isolated against one another, due to jealousy or selfishness. The materialistic needs will forge up the seclusion even if one does so. The intellects and the layman roles in this world might be differed- but they have their similarity, to live and let live peacefully together, to share and to cultivate live together purposeful, meaningful and met counter productive lives. Thence, this is how God want us to be! In our day to day life, we need somebody to help us and to stand by us-in time of despair, crisis, mourn. etc. So, with friends impossible seems possible; agony seems our laughter. Hard times can be solved easier. Companion serves as the watchdog to the one he or she accompanied. Supposing, someone is pulling the lever, he obviously needs a fulcrum puller or holder. This shows how human beings are interlinked to one and each another.
Contrast to this, there are some doubts arise when we speak about friend or friendships. What kind of person do you called as friend ? What traits suit you in your friendships? Do a friend ever makes you wrath or hurt ? Seldomly, he may does. How many time you found yourself rude to other? and how many time people around you feel uncomfortable to stand by your side? Then, what do you expect from your friend ? Do you expect all the good things from him/her ? Let me say 'Do not expect everything from someone'. Don't trust too much: for you may took the wrong road. That inturn can give you a turn to a broken road. But when we think about friendship, we never believe such odd things to befall against it. There are some important elements that we usually beget from our friend. What do you think would it be ? It is a NORM--(norm is an unwritten rules, practices, habits or cults that we use to follow-up automatically as a result of some convincing power and influences). So, when we intake someone's culture or habit, this happens even we do not note it down for the main issue. Do you think we apt someone's behavior in such a way ? Yes, we did even by seeing them in a television or by one way or another way. In which they becomes our role modeller. It is also feasible to intake such habits in no time- if the system or style reached the level of our admiration. But one must have clear comprehension to cope with it as it usually turns liar and geeky, while the charismatic rated us. The second one being a PEER PRESSURE-which came thru Norms that is found when some people are in contact, intermingling or when habits and ideas are interchanged with one another. The pressure comes even we liked it or don't, though we’ve deserved it or not- they are not the result of wants or desires. These might be the reason why we are bound to pitfall and lose all the good time and good characters. Do you ever think the vulnerability rate goes higher due to wants. Oh! Yes, we knew, this itself is the point of our pitfalling. So we must be aware all around- left to right, back and front, so on and so forth. Be specific, there are times that we must go INDIVIDUALLY and time to go with pals. Things around us are manifolded, twisted that we must be careful enough to choose the right way- the right time, with the right reason and right dcision. This is what Nature left to us. I have to tell you one important thing that used to shaped the LIVE'S CIRCLE of man. It is the ENVIRONMENT where we are in! What kind of environment swings around you. That gonna swung up and swallowed our soul. What we've known influence us; what we've seen ruled over the mind. When the Body is strike: the spirit obeys. But when the BODY forfeits- the spirit do not smell the taste. Let the river flows, let leaves flaps, let the music sounds. However, small mind get many objections. One should be clear enough to doctrinate things around us. There are times that friend makes us tears and at times compassionate and sympathize our anxiety and grieves. Does Friend really relieves our pains and the agonic breakings? What do you think the meaning of a 'friend'? Of course, sometime we find betrayal friend who deny in the hardcore activities. Such a friend are called a “fair weather friend”. Another its says, “a true friend is a sheltering tree”.

Somebody may say BOOKS are my friend and would vary according to individual likes and dislikes also due to different concepts and attitudes.

MEANING OF FRIENDS AND ITS ETYMOLOGY:
Derivation. A friend is a lover, literally. The relationship between Latin amīcus "friend" andamō" I love" is clear, as is the relationship between Greek philos "friend" and phileō "I love." In English, though, we have to go back a millennium before we see the verb related to friend. At that time, frēond, the Old English word for "friend," was simply the present participle of the verb frēon, "to love." The Germanic root behind this verb is frī-, which meant "to like, love, be friendly to." Closely linked to these concepts is that of "peace," and in fact Germanic made a noun from this root, *frithu-, meaning exactly that. Ultimately descended from this noun are the personal names Frederick, "peaceful ruler," and Siegfried, "victory peace." The root also shows up in the name of the Germanic deity Frigg, the goddess of love, who lives on today in the word Friday, "day of Frigg," from an ancient translation of Latin Veneris diēs, "day of Venus."

SOME OF THE IDIOMS BASED ON FRIENDSHIPS AND THE MEANING:
#A friend in need is a friend indeed. A true friend is a person who will help you when you really need help.
#fair-weather friend Fig. someone who is your friend only when things are pleasant or going well for you.
#friends with someone: a friend of someone. Typically: be become ~.)Sally is friends with Bill
#(Even)the best of friends must part. Prov. Even very good friends cannot stay together forever.
#Any friend of someone('s) (isa friend of mine). Cliché. I am always pleased to meet a friendof someone I know. (A pleasant response when meeting or being introduced to a friend ofa friend.)
#Fast friends. Good, loyal friends
#Make a friend and make friends. to establish a link of friendship with someone.I have never found it difficult to make friends.
#Lend your money and lose your friend. Prov. You should not lend money to your friends; if you do, either you will have to bother your friend to repay the loan, which will make your friend resent you, or your friend will not repay the loan, which will make you resent your friend.
#I was up all night with a sickfriend. an unlikely, but popular excuse for not being where one was supposed to be the night before
#He that hath a full purse never wanted a friend. Prov. A rich person always has plenty of friends friend.
#Who's your friend? Who is that following along behind you?John: Hi, Tom. Who's your friend?
#Man's best friend A dog; dogs in general.Man's best friend just peed all over my shoes!.
#make friends with someone to work to become a friend of someone.
#Short reckonings make long friends. Prov. If you borrow something from a friend, pay it back as soon as possible so that the two of you remain friendly.
#Have friends in high places. To know important people who can help you get what you want. He has plenty of friends in high places willing to support his political career.
#With friends like that, who needs enemies? (humorous) Something that you say when someone you thought was your friend treats you in an unpleasant way.

SOME OF THE QUOTATIONS ABOUT FRIENDSHIP:
#Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I maynot lead. Walk beside me and be my friend.”
#A friend is sweet when it is new. And it is sweeter when it is true. But you know what?It is sweetest when it is.
#Friendship isn't about whom you have known the longest... It's about who came, and never left your side...
#A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and cansing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.
#A friend is someone who can see the truth and pain in you even when you are fooling everyone else.
#A stranger stabs you in the front; a friend stabs you in the back; a
#True friendship's laws are by this rule express'd.
#Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest. Alexander Pope
#In prosperity it is very easy tofind a friend; in adversity, nothing is so difficult. Epictetus
#If a man does not make new acquaintances as he passes through life, he will soon findhimself alone. A man should keep his friendships in constant repair. Samuel Johnson
#Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit. Aristotle
#Friendship makes prosperity more brilliant, and lightens adversity by dividing and sharing it. Cicero
#Hold a true friend with both your hands. Nigerian Proverb
#Tell me your friends, and I'll tell you who you are. Assyrian Proverb
#The proper office of a friend is to side with you when you are in the wrong. Nearly anybody will side with you when you are in the right. Mark Twain
#Go often to the house of thy friend, for weeds choke the unused path. Ralph Waldo Emerson.
#There is no surer bond of friendship than an identity of community of ideas and tastes. Cicero
#We should behave to our friends as we would wish ourfriends behave to us. Aristotle
#Friendship, like phosphorus, shines brightest when all around is dark. Proverb
#Friends are like melons. You may try fifty before you find agood one. Claude Mermet
#Have friends. 'Tis a second existence. Baltasar Gracian
#Difference of opinion was never, with me, a motive of separation from a friend. Thomas Jefferson
#Reprove your friends in secret, praise them openly. Publilius Syrus
#I keep my friends as misers do their treasure, because, of all the things granted us by wisdom, none is greater or better than friendship. Pietro Aretino
#You will make more friends in a week by getting yourself interested in other people than you can in a year by trying to get people interested in you. Arnold Bennett
#Let friendship creep gently to a height; if it rush to it, it maysoon run itself out of breath. Thomas Fuller
#Value friendship for what there is in it, not for what can be gotten out of it. H. Clay Trumbull
#One friend in a lifetime is much; two are many; three are hardly possible. Henry Adams
#Friendship is the soul's heaven. A. Bronson Alcott
#A friend is, as it were, a second self. Cicero
#Be gracious to all men, but choose the best to be your friends. Isocrates
#Friendship needs no words--it is solitude delivered from the anguish of loneliness. Dag Hammarskjold
#A friend is one who dislikes the same people you dislike. Unknown
#Sincerity, truth, faithfulness, come into the very essence of friendship. William Ellery.
#We should behave to our friends as we would wish our friends behave to us. Aristotle
#Friendship, like phosphorus, shines brightest when all around is dark. Proverb
#Friends are like melons. You may try fifty before you find agood one. Claude Mermet
#Have friends. 'Tis a second existence. Baltasar Gracian
#Difference of opinion was never, with me, a motive of separation from a friend. Thomas Jefferson Do not be easily sway by the moving winds and do not so cute to take steps with the prevailing winds. But be wise.

Written in the year 2013 August
©Muante.