We've all heard the term "Smalltimore", and all-inclusive term to reference the three-degrees of separation phenomenon of living in the city and surrounding area. And I'm sure we have all experienced it, flipping through various pages of Facebook to say, "Hey, how do you know so-and-so?". I know that I certainly feel it. Having worked various bar jobs, lived in the state my entire life, gone to multiple schools in the area, and having been in a sorority, I can honestly say, I've met a ton of people in my lifetime. I was going through my friend list just the other day, and I was able to say that I knew all of the 800+ friends on my list (after I cleared out a few).
But at what point is someone more than an acquaintance, or friend, or good friend, or best friend? On the spectrum of friends, how do you decide where one falls?
In the recent months, I think I have been clearing out my real-life "buddy list". Sifting out those that I think are no longer genuine friends that care about me. And I think I'm being smarter in terms of who I am allowing myself to bond with. I'm quicker to recognize the insincere and put my foot down on those situations. I feel that I'm still giving opportunities, to let people move from an acquaintance to friend and so on. But as can be seen by the past week's events, I'm not going to put up with people that disrespect me, intentional or not...
The good news is, with this housecleaning, I'm ending up with some terrific friends. And not just that, but I'm learning how to stand up for myself and I'm learning my limits. Live by the golden rule....treat others like you want to be treated.
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