What Constitutes a Good Friend?

During pivotal periods in my youth, a person, a messenger of life, appeared and carried a torch of friendship to light my way.

Jimmy befriended me, and I sorely needed that. He was willing to give, and I was ready to receive. I do not know what I offered him other than companionship. We lived our lives in a small town, his family well rooted in all the unpleasantries and belonging that being a part of — growing up in and remaining in — a small town has to offer.

I felt to be a drifter then, and that descriptor portrays the connection I had with others at that time. Jim was an anomaly, a poor man’s savior. For a short while, I had a taste of brotherhood and acceptance. Our lives were on different trajectories. He was to remain in that small town and raise a family, mine, was to roam the countryside and some of the world.

I returned one day, unannounced, stopping by to see my old friend. The reception I received was oddly cold, and Jim was too busy to talk. I felt, however, a brief sense of the familiar, Jim had a best friend, and that guy appeared to be needing one.

Jeff Bailey © 2018