Friend-wich w/ Extra Mayo

   I received a topic request for Brass-Knuckle Love Butter the other day. A damn good buddy of mine asked me to write about myself...specifically..my personal approach on making lasting friendships. Over the years I've made a lot of great friends, or even more so, a lot of great friends made me. That last statement really says it all. Here are a few things I've learned from the great people I'm honored to call my friends:

•    Accept people for who they are. There is an easy way of going about this...people are HUMAN, just like YOU. Humans have many different tendencies. There's good and evil. There are the selfish and the selfless. We, in each other's eyes, may not be perfect. However, we are perfectly human.
•    Everyone has an admirable quality about them. It's up to us to give them the chance to reveal it. Don't allow yourself to get caught up being jealous or envious of someone. Those are deceiving feelings that have a negative effect on our outlook of them and life. Admire peoples' talents and be inspired by them.
•    You're allowed to hate someone for whatever reasons. You just have to remember you can't blame them for it. Hate comes from within ourselves. (Forgiveness does too.)
•    When doing a good deed for someone, don't expect anything in return. If you do, well then you're not the great friend you thought you were. You really just forced yourself into not appreciating your friendship. Do nice things for people because it makes YOU feel good.
•    Have an open heart with others. This doesn't mean you have to be all sappy about it. We tend to be more genuinely social when we're comfortable with whoever is listening.
•    Be open-minded to the fact that others have opinions different from your own. Love them for this. It makes for great conversation and helps you gain new perspectives on life. 
•    Do your best at being a friend. Be there for them when you can. Apologize to them when you can't. Understand we all have our own lives to live and never hold that against them.

   I'm sure there are 10 billion other things I could add to this list. None of these things just happen. We all have to work at it, all of the time. I still have my moments, as does everyone else. There is something I want to make sure to add. I never have a conversation with a friend with the expectation that we will no longer be friends afterwards. If you have a concern about a friend or yourself, share it with them. Talk as friends and make it count. We may not be here tomorrow.
   Laughter has been the best avenue for me to get to know people. When we laugh, we bond. It's the foundation of my lifestyle. I bridge my "sense of humor" to my "sense of human" and somewhere in between is where I forge friendships.

Scotty J. - i'm not wearing any underwear.