The James Logan Courier

By Ignacio Torres, staff writer

I remember being in my kindergarten classroom with a class full of friends. I would play with everyone and share my lunch, as well; if you ask me now for some of my lunch, I would tell you to please go buy your own, but in a harsher manner. My point is that, as one gets older, it seems that we become a bit cynical about which of our friends are truly trustworthy and will be there until the end.

currently, I am reading Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck and it made me think about who is really going to be there for me through both the good and the bad times. In the novel, the protagonist Danny has a friend, Pilon, who’s always by his side while they live through poverty. After Danny realized that he inherited two houses, numerous people, who where suffering from poverty as well, claimed to be his friends.

It is sad to say that many who consider themselves friends are only there for the good times.

Recently my grandmother passed away and I knew who I could turn to for support, or so I thought. A friend, I still like to consider that person as a friend would simply not pick up her phone because she was upset over a simple argument we had the day before. I guess I know who my true friends are now.

I always ask myself if I were to be ill, who would be there to help me get through my hardships?I can count the number of people with both of my hands and that’s OK, because the empty gestures of love and compassion from millions of people can’t compare to the true feelings exhibited by one.

High School may be a land of gossip and bitter competition, but even amid the animosity one can still find a friend who accepts and loves you for who you are. Now ask yourself, are the friends that you truly care about and for whom you would go out on a limb, there for you in both the good times and the bad times?

The answer might not be what you expected.