When we are younger we are taught there is no such thing as evil. As we grow older we learn that people are not evil, rather their actions are evil. Anne Frank once said “People are truly good at heart.” In middle school you walk around with your certain clique, wearing the same clothing, talking the same, and even being around the same people. As you enter high school you have the chance to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and you begin to lose yourself in the constant number of friends you think you have in your life.

We all have people in our lives in which we look up to in some way or another. Dads to show their son what a man should be like, mothers to show their daughters how to raise a family and have respect for herself. Maybe that person is not a parent and rather a friend. A friend who makes you think of the song “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” by Tracy Lawrence. In the song you hear the lines “Somebody’s gonna drop everything”. And you think of all of the things those important people do for you in your life. It is always important to not take people for granted, always be straightforward with them face to face, man to man. You have good and bad things happen to you in your life, some of those things can be controlled, other things in life cannot be helped. No matter what cards you're dealt in life, you learn to play the best game of poker ever, even if the cards of life might be ripped and torn around the edges. Everyone is dealing with something in their personal life, be kind always. And forgive often. I’m living proof that the people with the ugliest darkest pasts can and will have the best and brightest futures for themselves.

You will be fortunate enough though to have people that will turn their truck around three times because you were stuck on the side of the road driving a van at the time. You will have that guy who teaches you everything and they have no idea they are doing it. You will wreck someone's dirt bike because you didn't know where the brake was at the time, and they forgive you for it after you get done laughing. You will be blessed with those friends who have more guts than evil knievel himself and will attempt to ride a pig and succeed, when all you can do is sit and watch because you know your limits.Remember  never smell the bottle if you are told to “smell this”.  That never ends well. These people are the ones you want to keep active in your life.

Unfortunately In life you will meet fake people, these people aren't the fake barbie dolls you buy in the store, these are the people that can destroy your life in a matter of minutes. Acting as if they are there for you, when really in the end it was only for personal benefit. The Thought Catalog 2016 put it this way “True friends envision their future with you while fake friends don’t even see their future with you.” I think of an analogy when thinking about friends. You wouldn't go and miracle grow all of your weeds in your yard, rather put weed killer on them, in the same instance once you take fake people out of your life, you begin the journey of finding true friends and your true self. In life it is not about how lost a mortal man may become wrapped up in himself, rather how he chooses to fix his mistakes. They always say to fix the burned bridges, but I believe it is better if we leave the ash lay at the bottom of the river and build a new path to a better place.

Let’s take a one dollar bill for instance. You can split the dollar bill with four quarters or a whopping 100 pennies. Personally I would rather have 4 quarters in my pocket than 100 pennies. To connect that with friends in your personal life you must think “how many people in my life would I call a “friend”,” and from there you must tell yourself what do they do to change my life, how often do I speak to this person, and do they seem like they have your back. I guarantee you once you do that you will be left with five people standing in front of you. Those friends are the people you can call “True Friends.”

Remember my friend life is amazing, this world is big.Never let anyone tell you, you are not worth it, I am here to tell each and every one of you that no matter what life brings your way, you are worth every second. Don’t ever let another mortal soul bring you so low to hate him. Life is full of meeting people new and old. I've been told once you leave high school you usually do not even keep contact with those people because we all move on to do our own things, beginning our own journeys. That does not mean that those people did not have an impact on your life,rather it means you have enough courage to recognize who your true friends are and move on to better both parties. I’m a firm believer you meet everyone for a reason as a lesson or as a friend,. Just be yourself and the right people will come along into your life, but the second you go against your ethics you will have a lot of people in your life who really do not care about you or your goals in life…...you will have a pocket full of pennies.

I can officially say I may not have friends in numbers but I sure do have friends in quality, I could call any of them at 3 am and they would be there to help me in a split second. It is a privilege not a right to call those guys my friends who became family.

Always remember quality over quantity when choosing people in your life. People make mistakes that is normal, you slowly  learn to forgive yourself, time marches on.

Remember

“Carpe-Diem”- Seize The Day