Best Friends

And why does he hang out with those retarted gorillas, as you called them, because any one of them, if he asked them to, would take a f***ing bat to your head, okay? It's called loyalty.

I love that description of Will's friends from Good Will Hunting. I think it crudely, but adeptly, describes the kind of devotion that best friends have to one another. A few months ago I heard about a girl living up in Idaho who in about two weeks time met, went out with a couple of times, and then got engaged to a guy up there. From first meeting to eventual marriage I think there was about a 3 month window. Without really going into her blog and her semi-crazy (to me at least) musings, she talked about how he was her best friend after only 10 days of knowing each other. I just couldn't believe how some people can fall into those kinds of marriages (and I don't mean in a good way), but my first thought was really just about how she probably has never really had a best friend, because if she really did, then there is no way that she would ever make that leap in assuming that some guy that she had only just met could somehow fill a role that really takes years to grow into.

If you have the means, I highly highly recommend getting one, they are so choice.

I've been really lucky because I think ever since I can remember, I have always had a go to friend at every point in my life. I still remember the first time Justin's mom came over to my house in kindergarden and asked if her son could play with me. That one felt like an arranged marriage/friendship and we eventually grew apart, but for about 6-7 years, we were inseperable. Then I had Ryan. And then came along Dave and he's been there pretty much ever since. It really is great when your friends aren't restricted by just proximity, but they are based on the commonalities that you share, as well as your experiences with one another. And I've been really lucky since then because I feel like I have a few people that I would easily call my best friends.

The last girl I dated really had a great appreciation for best friends. We had some conversations about it here and there, but we mostly concluded that it's not something you can really understand unless you have that kind of relationship yourself. She particularly loved on-screen portrayals of best friends because there are some things that can only be communicated by someone who has that kind of familiarity in his/her own life. One that she usually referenced was from the TV show Psych, which I've never seen, but George and Brad on Ocean's 11 is a perfect example, think of the scene where George is having the "conversation" with Brad but really he's the only one saying anything.

I think my favorite, though, is Turk and JD from Scrubs. I think there are about 1,000 different things I can point to that make me love Turk and JD, but I think my favorite part is that I feel like I've made the same jokes so many times with Dave and Greg. And the stupid crap that they pull on each other or on the interns just has such a Doug Reid kind of feel to it. It feels like home to me when I watch those two.

I guess started thinking about this more when I ran into an old friend the other night at an institute activity. We hardly talk anymore, this was the first time in a couple of months, but we instantly picked up where we last left off and I just knew exactly where I stood with her. I know what things she laughs at, what things she thinks are strange, what she cares about, I just know every nook and cranny of her person. Even just through certain looks I knew exactly what she was thinking, and I just missed her presence so much because there is nothing like just knowing a person's heart inside and out, and knowing that the person really would take a bullet for you given that opportunity. There is something just so wonderfully comforting and gratifying to know that in your times of greatest need, there is someone there who would do anything for you to get through that moment. I think what really adds so much depth to these friendships is experiencing hardship with one another, extending and receiving forgiveness, and knowing that there is nothing there but a true sense of concern for the other person. It's nice to know that sometimes they can call you to the carpet when you're wrong, and you can listen because you know where they're coming from. And I love thinking that no matter how much time passes, or how infrequently you might see one another, you just know that the connection will always be there. I didn't mean for this to turn so soft and corny, but I was just thinking about it the last several days.