Recovering An Attitude That Was Lost

Friendship has always been intriguing to me. We often are lead to people who have the same interests, humor or attitude about life, but every once in a while we attract someone who is completely different than ourselves and have a great time. Like any relationship, friendships take time, patience and good communication to work. I've made friends around the world through the years, some I've held on to and others I've let slip away as our paths have separated, our attitudes changed. The ones that I've kept in my life have proven to be some of the most unique individuals on this earth and constantly keep me guessing at what will come next.

I like the unusual...if I know what to expect for too long, it can become boring to my overly Gemini self. There are some routines that comfort me, but they are usually doing the same thing with different results each time. Much like the people in my life, it stays the same at the core, but the topics change regularly. Sometimes it ends up messy, disorganized, but most of the time it's interesting to watch the layers change, shift, grow into something/someone both new to me and yet, familiar.

Over the last few years, I've accumulated a few of these kinds of friendships online. Maybe never actually meeting the person face to face, but enjoying their random hilarity through emails, I.M.s, or status messages. I've found it easier to be myself among this hodgepodge band of misfits, wierdos and geeks that have accepted my unique craziness as much as I've accepted theirs. Never agreeing completely with them, but always enjoying their perspectives on life, the universe and everything.

That is what makes it truly worthwhile, being able to agree to disagree...never harboring ill will towards someone just because they believe differently than you do. I've lived most of my life with this as my main principle...it's really the old Golden Rule way of thinking; “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Do what you will, an it harm none.” “Live and Let Live.” I had fallen out of practice with it in recent years with some of the people closest to me, but with learning to truly let go of my willfullness towards others, the feeling of “control”, I have found that relationships are blossoming all around me.

I'm enjoying the company of people that I hadn't gotten along with in years, just by accepting that they're entitled to what they think/feel/do in life. I don't have to agree with it, I don't have to like it, but I sure don't have to react to it either. I've found myself laughing at things that used to drive me up a wall, loving instead of allowing negativity into myself, and using the best phrase ever (“You may be right.”) to diffuse situations that I would have fought to the bitter end on before. As I let go of my “controlling” behaviors and step back from ducked-upitude, life becomes easier, simpler...I see a person within me that I like and friendships popping up all around.

It's amazing what just a little change in attitude can do for oneself.