This one from "Quotes of the Day" got me to thinking:
Contrary to general belief, I do not believe that friends are necessarily the people you like best, they are merely the people who got there first.There may be some truth to that, but last night I had a talk with a friend of mine in Milwaukee who I have known since my high school days. We worked together, played sports together, traveled together, and raised our families in parallel. My first son was named after him.
- Peter Ustinov
He is the kind of person I would have chosen for a friend whenever I had met him. Honest... look-you-in-the-eye-and-tell-you-like-it-is honest... a never-let-you-down kind of person who would rather take a loss than be a cheat. I have always known what to expect and I always expected the best from him... and was never disappointed.So, while I'm sure that Peter Ustinov's remark was meant to be humorous, it lacks a little accuracy. We meet many people when we are young, but they don't become our friends because they are first. They become our friends because, for us, they are the best. And if they are not the best, perhaps we have to examine ourselves and our judgment.
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