February 28, 1999

What the Hell?

I have come to realize that keeping friendships is perhaps just as difficult as maintaining relationships. Maybe it's even harder, for you are more likely to have multiple friends than multiple significant others. It's this group dynamic that makes everything impossible. Two friends feud and the group appears to crumble around you.

It's the proverbial rock and a hard place. Instead of choosing between one or the other, you have to listen to both sides to keep both friends. Like this easily can happen. Time spent with one equates to awkward feelings or insults. You hear both sides and just can't care anymore.

But you do. Friendships are not an endless stream of perfect understandings and serenities, but a series of hurdles to overcome. Fighting your own obstacles and pitfalls is fairly easy if you can identify them. Bringing other people back together again is impossible even if you know the critical flaw. Sure, it would be a dream to cram five people into a room with a six-pack of IBC Root Beer and tell them you will not be back till they explain themselves and hope they get the symbolism of the mouth-to-drink inequality, but that is symbolic and metaphorical neverneverland.

All you can do is sit back and telepathically wish for the better.