Reflections of friendship – on your Birthday 

There is much to be said about the confines of friendship.

The core ingredients that allow it to be that elemental force (selflessness and loyalty) is often taken for granted.

Over the course of 4 decades and some change, I have learned a lot about what that is – and accordingly those lessons have defined me.

I have gained and lost a number of friends – and in retrospect I am better for it.

There are many varieties of friends.

The most common being stationary, situational and evolutionary friends.

The stationary friend – Is that friend that reminds you of who you were and bristles against the aspect of change. If you allow them to, they will endeavor to keep to stationary with them.

The situational friend – Is that friend who has been tethered to you by the confines of a situation – outside of that “situation” there is a void of commonality.

The evolutionary friend – Is that friend who blurs the line of friendship and evokes something deeper – those brotherhood/familial bonds.

You will cycle through the stationary and situational, but you will keep the evolutionary because our humanity demands it. The evolutionary variety pushes you to be a better person.

Ken,

We’ve come of age together.

We’re lightyears away from the improvisational days of our youth: eating cornflakes with water in your kitchen, throwing rocks at cars and running, sneaking out of the house at late hours to go to parties in parts unknown of Chicago at obscene hours without our parents knowing otherwise.

When I’ve fallen you’ve picked me up more times than I can recall and I am unable to enunciate and quantify my appreciation.

During the course of every pivotal moment of my existence you’ve been there to serve as my echo chamber, opting for truth versus allowing the fictitious confines of ego destroy me.

You are evolutionary, you are my brother and I am blessed and honored to have you in my orbit.

Happy Birthday KR.