Friendship

The time has come, for me, to have my say on friendship. First of all, I must admit that, in my childhood, I have never had quite as many friends as everyone else. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, the only other children I was in touch with were my schoolmates, and as you might have read on these very pages, there has never been much attachment between me and them. Briefly, many of them didn't really like me, and if I'm honest, I couldn't find anything likable in them either. This is the reason why I never really got along with the boys and girls I basically grew up with.
Then came the teenage years; and with that, my spectrum started to widen, as my age allowed me to attend summer camps with other teenagers, not necessarily from here. Nice, isn't it? Very nice indeed! That's where my first true friendships started! Really nice people, with most of whom I am still in touch today! Another important experience, as far as friendship is concerned, has been my Erasmus last spring! And also, there are a few people, with whom I have gotten in touch by means of social networking sites (Facebook, mostly) without having ever actually met in person. But still, I consider them as friends. Very good friends. Some of the best I have ever had. Physically very distant indeed, but technology makes us feel as though we were face to face! ☺
So, what is my definition of friendship? I will start with a quote from my favourite novel of all time, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson:

Friendship- my definition- is built on two things. Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it has to be mutual. You can have respect for someone, but if you don't have trust, the friendship will crumble.

That sums it up perfectly. You may respect many people, but needn't necessarily be friends with them to do so. Trust, then, is the real glue that joins two or more people in a relationship of every kind: a friendship, a professional relationship, a love story...
And, when all is said and done, it's fair to say that, many times, you get along better with people you barely ever met, or you haven't even met once, than you do with others you've known for decades. This is what happens to me. They trust me. I trust them. And we are happy with our friendship. And in some cases, we are definitely looking forward to that day when we'll finally meet...

PS: in case the aforementioned book has sparked any strange ideas in you...Please be aware that its female protagonist, who goes by the name of Lisbeth Salander, is THE EXACT OPPOSITE of what I would call my ideal woman. I loathe violence. I hate tattoos. I don't like girls covered in tattoos. And I wouldn't be exactly proud of being friends with someone like her...