40 Life Lessons I learned before I turned 40: #10 Travel with a small number

Don’t travel alone. But don’t travel with a crowd either.

Growing up in a fundamental Christian home but attending an extremely liberal international school meant that I had lots of friends but few close ones. Lifestyle choices made me the unwelcome guest at most parties.  My few friends were not part of my daily life.

At 18, I entered the world of North Central University. I discovered that there were other young people like myself, who loved Jesus, but lived good fun lives. For the first time in my life I had lots of friends. Lots.

As time went on, that number of friends expanded. And contracted. This isn’t original to me, but there are friends who are for a reason, a season, and a lifetime.

Michael W Smith wrote “Friends are friends forever” but its only true if they all make it to heaven. Most of the friends I once had, I no longer have.

But there are 2, maybe 3 guys in my life that have now been friends for years. One for decades. And my life is extremely rich because of those men.

But be careful. The older you get, the more easy having acquaintances and surface friendships becomes. Fewer and fewer place value on opening up, on sharing the reality of who they are.

So choose wisely. And understand that some friendships don’t last. That’s ok. If it was a true friendship, the sharing was mutual, the benefit mutual and the memories sweet.

Keep traveling.