I like to think
that I don’t take myself too seriously. I can laugh at myself,
and I do indeed laugh at myself on occasion. But then, there are
things in my past that I don’t so much laugh at as I wish they
hadn’t happened.
I don’t
usually reminisce on my earlier school years, and I have a good
reason not to. That reason has to do with bullying. I hated every
minute that I was anywhere else than the relative safety of the
classroom. I never made many friends, and the few that I did manage
to make, despite whatever they might have said back then, didn’t
make the slightest move to help me in any way.
In time, I
learned to stand up for myself. The nine years that I struggled
through elementary, hanging on by a thread, were the best teachers I
ever had. In a way, I’m thankful to my bullies for pushing me
to become as strong as I have. Their wrong-doings helped me reinforce
my walls.
Now that I’ve
made my way into university, I’m happy to see that everyone
acts their age. Of course, that’s only a first impression, but
those are what matter, aren’t they?
While I’ve
made acquaintances with many of my peers in university, however, the
friends I’ve made are about as scarce in number as previously.
But I honestly don’t mind that. To me, quality is what matters
anyway, not quantity.
It
takes a lot for me to really consider someone a friend. A common
interest or seeing them on a regular basis isn’t enough. It
takes more than that. They need to be able to listen to my concerns.
They need to dare to voice their own concerns to me. Most
importantly, they need to know
me.
There is one
such person in my life, and I’ve known him for the past six
years. With him, I’ve shared some of the most memorable moments
of my life. I’ve shared many laughs with him. I’ve shared
many concerns with him. And as long as that continues, I’ll be
content to have at least one true friend.
Strangely
enough, though, I keep wishing I had more friends. Not mere
acquaintances, but genuine friends. But the thing about it is that I
don’t bond that deeply with just about anyone. I’m pretty
selective when it comes to establishing friendships. That’s
probably the reason I don’t have more friends than I do.
At the very
least, I have one true friend who’ll listen to my concerns. One
true friend who isn’t afraid to voice his own concerns to me.
One true friend who knows me inside out. And that’s enough.