V. Carpenter
3840 English 1a
11/15/10
True Meaning of a Friend
Never in my life have I ever really sat down to think about the definition of friendship. As a kid one does not choose their friends by how loyal they are or how good looking a person is. As a child grows into maturity things such as stereotypes, race, gender and so on help them to define who they would like to consider friends. In the end, I feel as though none of these things really matter. According to Webster’s dictionary, the definition of friendship is one who is act of kindness. My personal definition of friendship is support, love, respect, and most of all laughter. Some may say that there is such a thing as good friends and bad friends, but I feel if a person is not a good friend, then they should not be considered a friend at all. I felt betrayed, stabbed in the back, hurt, not physically, but emotionally by some of my closest friends. Does this mean that this person is a bad friend? Not necessarily, it is impossible for people to be in agreement at every given moment. Sometimes lies are involved because people want to protect the other from getting hurt. Other times friends yell and argue over something little such as backing out on previously made plans. Arguments can bring friends closer together. It is a way for them to sit down and openly discuss how the other truly feels about the situation and when there is a better understanding it is easier to not make those mistakes again in the future. On the other hand, a good friend is somebody who will listen to your deepest, darkest secrets yet never tell. Someone who will be there for you through good times and bad or even when it is or is not convenient for them to be there for the other. Another form of friendship is an acquaintance. Most people have an acquaintance or many acquaintances. A grocery store clerk or a co-worker that works in the same building but a different department are great examples. You