They say the fastest way to create lasting bonds between people is shared suffering combined with laughter.
That is basically the Naval Academy in a nutshell.
It is even more accurate when talking about the Prep School
My closest friends are the ones I shared that year with
Well still talk about the misery shared there.
I was in a text thread the other day with my two partners in crime
We were talking about early morning workouts and how much we hated them.
We would run to the gym in the snow early in the morning
We didn’t have to but we probably wouldn’t have done it without each other.
We had been through a lot by that point.
Hours of rolling around in goose crap.
Making the laundry room rain with sweat
Dragging our mattress back up the stairs that the cadre has thrown out the window.
Sharing one shower stall with three other dudes
Having to PT naked in the shower
I couldn’t make this up if I wanted to.
Those guys to this day are the ones I trust the most
I had a friend say it best.
“Find the guys you can trust with your wife and your money, and that’s all you’ll ever need”
Those type of people are rare
You won’t find them in places where life is easy
You won’t find them on the path labeled “shortcut”
They won’t make you comfortable
They will expect more from you than you do from yourself
They tell you what you need to hear not what you want to hear
They are the ones who are still around when everything falls apart
They are the ones willing to suffer for you not just with you
They know you aren’t perfect
They reserve judgement for your better days.
It’s true, good friends are hard to find.
They are hard to find because as I stated above, these people are found in tough times or when you are at your lowest.
The only way I’ve found to find more of those people is to place myself in difficult situations.
I don’t me detrimental, I mean difficult.
Struggling in school, sports, business or parenting it hasn’t ever mattered.
In seeking help I found others in search of the same thing.
It’s ok to make mistakes
It’s ok to fail
It’s ok to be embarrassed
And it’s ok to struggle
We find others like us there and we bring each other up.
When times are tough or you feel down, look around, you might be surprised at who you will see.
Fern
