Diversity of friends

Had the chance to hang out with a friend last night and have some good conversation. We were sitting outside at Nordaggio's and the temperature was just about ideal. My ideal evening with friends would look something like this most of the time. Outdoors with the temperature of a nice spring or fall evening, conversation that covers a lot but with no particular agenda, no time constraints so that the conversation wasn't rushed and went from serious to humorous throughout the evening. Those are the evenings I enjoy a lot.

One of the questions I was asked was if I would describe Lisa and I as similar. Yes and no. We have a lot of the same passions and priorities, but are personalities and perspectives are different. Really that sums up a lot of my friendships as well. As we talked about some of that last night, it brought to mind a couple of my friends. You see I don't have "normal" friendships (whatever that is). See one of my friends I coached in soccer when he was 10, another friend was in a small group I lead when he was in high school and only 15, another I met on a plane on a trip to Vegas, and others friendship have grown as we serve together. I love the diversity of those friends. Personalities that run from one end of the spectrum to the other.

I haven't seen Jeff in a couple of years as he has been in Thailand, but I still look forward to the chance to hang out with him and go grab a Coke like we did 16 years ago. The conversations have changed over time as our lives have changed, how often we can get together has changed also, but I still know what has created that bond in our friendship hasn't changed. We can jump in where we left off.

Chris and I manage to get together ever once in awhile. Life has also changed our conversations as well. It doesn't involve me telling him to run more laps because of his endless energy, but we have been through a lot of life together. I've had the chance to be on the edges as he moved through high school, got married, had a baby and through the countless decisions of what career to pursue. He is the friend that will call me out of the blue to just check on me if we haven't talked in awhile. We have lots of differences, but still yet we are friends.

I look at the people I talk to now and wonder if they will be the ones that stand the test of time as well. I don't know what it is that makes some friendships last and others move on, but I want to be a collector of more friends like Jeff, Chris, Shane and Brian. Those friends that after more than 10 years we are still talking and laughing together. Our lives have crossed paths and we continue to pursue that. Those passions and priorities we share continue to draw us together for yet another conversation. Wonder where that next lifelong friendship will develop?