I brought the fancier camera up to Fort Bragg. There was no excuse not to take pictures on the roadtrip. The tides were low, so an early morning visit to Glass Beach resulted in some neat shots. I wasn’t quite sure what to look for, and there were a ton of bugs all over the seaweed and rocks… Still found some neat stuff with the help of some knowledgeable strangers. A hiding crab and starfish included.
In recent conversations I’ve had with some friends [separate instances], the value of time in relation to social interaction came up as the subject. They, of course, led to other tangents in my mind, and I’m using this as a place to jot down the non-linear, even nebulous, thought bubble. It made me think about two areas related – friendships and talking to strangers [another entry].
In terms of friendships, how much time is one willing to spend nurturing it and making it grow? What makes that particular friendship worth the time that could be spent on another friendship? Must you pick and choose?
I’ve always believed that things happen for a reason. You encounter certain people in your life, and that such encounters are not without a purpose. Whether it is to make a huge impact, or just to enhance your experience, or to even lead you to other experiences, it all happens for a reason. Perhaps that is also why I have many acquaintances and for most of my life, felt spread across too many… not really bonding or engaging in friendships that last. I’d want to give everyone a bit of time, and then end up not giving any one person enough of the time.
Picking and choosing is not my forte. I want it all! But of course, it has to be done. Well then, how do you choose? For the consistent ones, it is easy. Dependable. Open. Two-way street. Make the effort. Consistently not any of those things, and it is easier to prioritize the energy spent. Like I was telling a friend, always a douchebag or asshole? EASY, unless I happened to be a glutton for punishment, and I sometimes am [it's a side effect of being optimistic].
It is the inconsistent ones that are hard to decipher. Some days, you can count on them. Other days, you won’t hear from them… What do you do then? Give them the benefit of the doubt and make the effort, wait around, or give up? Really hard to say. It’s like you’ve got 100% of your “friend time” in addition to “work time,” “self time,” “bodily functions time.” How do you distribute that “friend time” amongst the people you know? Do you give most of it to a few? Or do you spread it evenly over many? And of course, how do you decide?
