You can't pay your gas bill with it, but....

So I had a few great conversations with some friends and family members this week and it "out of the blue" dawned on me that i have great friends and people in my life.  Now yes, that is a great thing, but how terrible is it that it had to dawn on me?  Am I so caught up in the daily comings and goings of my life that i don't realize that i am literally surrounded by awesome people?  Unfortunately the answer must be yes.

I realize it is a sign of the times.  We (i assume you people as well but maybe not, no offense intended!)  don't reach out to the ones close to us and over commit to people we hardly know.  Being a friend used to be about hanging out, having something in common or even just living in the same neighborhood, now it's just a button you click.  Now you collect "friends" like baseball cards and he(or she) who has the most is by default the most popular.  Most of these friends you have never met and never will and the only interaction you will ever have is clicking on a "like" button or declining to go to one of the endless events your inbox is flooded with.  Btw not everything in your virtual life is an "event" so stop inviting me!

I used to call my friends to do something.  That was pretty much it.  No event or reservation needed.  I had 8-10 real friends and life was pretty good.  My virtual self has hundreds of strangers who have liked my "profile" but wouldn't recognize me or say hello to me if we ran into each other on the street....

The funny thing is, I still have 8-10 real friends, and every time i get to see or talk to them I am reminded as to why i call them friends.  I actually LIKE them!  I don't have to click any buttons or join any events either!  They are the people I know i can count on, they are who i call when faced with a problem or to share news good or bad.  Somehow my family fits in that category too!  I know many people who have little to no relationship with family members and i should realize how lucky i am.

It turns out i am a very wealthy man.  Not the kind of wealth that gets you a mansion on the hill and a ferrari in the driveway but it is the best kind of wealth.  It doesn't rely on a stock market or an interest rate.  I am friend rich and i rely on them.