Parents are always telling their children to be careful who they associate with, because who you are is influenced by the friends you keep. When I began junior high in 1978 I had no idea how true that was....but fortunately I hung out with some very cool kids.
Last Thursday I had the opportunity to have dinner with a group of friends from my high school days (Arcadia High, Class of 1984). We had all known each other since junior high, and while many of us had drifted apart after school, we re-connected at our twenty year reunion two years ago.
Some of us are married with children, some are not. Many of them still live in Southern California, others have moved away (I live now live in Texas). Some are conservatives, others are liberal. We work in a variety of jobs (banker, minister, salesperson, retail manager, entertainment industry executive, author, full-time mom, etc...) but what we all have in common is memories of growing up together and touching each other's lives in countless positive ways.
We drank wine, told stories and laughed for five hours while our children played together. We laughed about old friends, classmates and teachers (many of whom were 40 years old while we were in school...and we thought them to be "very old") and shared our lives.
I have always known I was lucky to have had these people in my life. We were not the "popular" kids in school, but we were never stuck-up. We were just who we were.....and everyone is still the same today. I am proud to have known these people for nearly thirty years. I am proud to call each of them my friend.
My advice to a 7th grader is to look around at your friends. In the year 2032 would you want to be at a BBQ with these folks? Would you want your spouse and children to meet them? If not, find new friends! I know I could not have seen the importance of these cool kids in my future at the time, but I am glad that they are in my life today.
Have A Great Day.
Thom Singer
www.thomsinger.com
thom@thomsinger.com
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