Circle of Friends

I had a conversation the other day with some acquaintances about friendship.  Just general stuff we talked about.  How we make friends, or not.  Who we let in or not. But it started me thinking about those things in a more deeper sense. 

How do we make friends?  For some it is very easy.  For other, like me. it is much harder.  I had to think about this for awhile.  And I realized that I have distinct circles of friends.  Each circle, like the rings of a bulls eye target.  Each one, getting smaller as it comes closer to the center.  This center, in this instance, is me.

The outer ring, are those friends and acquaintances I have casual conversation with, can say hello to when I see them out and about, but I am still standing back from them, observing, quiet, listening, not really letting them really get to know me. Just casual acquaintances.  They too, are not really taking the time to look past my quietness to find out what lies beneath.

The inner ring, the inner ring are those few, and they are few, who have piqued my interest and I want to let them in further.  And they are curious enough about me to want to be allowed into this circle.  These are my friends that when we are together we can talk about anything, until all hours of the night.  We laugh at each others jokes.  We cry with each other when we are sad and when we are happy.  These are the ones who understood the quiet and shy person I am and stayed around because they knew there was a more open and talkative person inside.

And then, there is the ring, right before the center.  There are very, very few friends here.  These few are the ones who have stayed the course, curious enough to want to know more of me.  I do not let many people in this close.  This ring is for those who know that there is something inside which I do not let out often.  The wild child.  The gypsy dancer.  The dreamer.  There are very few here that get to see this side of me.  They hear the same music I hear in my head.  They dance the same dance.  The get my jokes.  They get my sarcasm.  They let me let my hair down and be wild and free and daring.  They are the ones you can call at 3:00 am and say "Damn I feel caged I have to get out of here, let's go for a road trip"  And they are knocking on your door 15 minutes later saying where we going.  They are the ones who will let me get away with being silly sweet because they know I'll counter it later with being wickedly wild.  They prefer the wild to the sweet.

These are my circle of friends.