MAN EATING SQUIRREL

I've always been a one-friend type of guy. Whatever chapter I'm living in at the moment I find myself making one good friend. For example.....High School: Gabe Coyle, College: Lyle Denton. I have a few good friends, but I have 2 to 3 BEST friends (let me first say this doesn't include my wife, brothers and cousins, my wife is my forever best friend and my brothers and cousin, they are closer to me than any brothers or cousins out there).
     I was in Costa Rica on a soccer trip in college and this old man told me to have two or three best friends in my life. I thought he was a weird guy when i first heard that statement, but over the years I have adopted it as my own. To have two best friends in my life: Gabe and Lyle. To be honest it takes me awhile to make friends.... I'm pretty reserved and like to connect with someone over a shared experience, something that can bring the two of us together. Which brings me to the point: If you want to connect with someone, go create an experience that is unique and shared only by the two of you. Create intentinal opportunities that will promote a possible friendship.
    I used to be really good at this. In 5th grade I was the new kid, so i needed to make some friends fast!!! I realized the seriousness of the situation so in my little 5th grade mind I came up with a pretty good idea. I was going to create a  situation that would bring me and Mike Walters together for many years to come! I didn't know it at the time, but I knew I needed to share something that would bring us together to kick-start a potential friendship. Shortly after the school year started, we went on a 5th and 6th grade wilderness trip. We had a blast, playing games, singing songs, shooting guns, eating smores etc... One night after our evening rally Mike and I were walking to the cafeteria to hang out with the rest of the group. I knew this was the moment... We were walking through the woods and we heard something in the bushes.  To be funny, I"freaked" out and started screaming pretending this little creature was after me, my reaction caused Mike to freak out and start screaming and running too (it worked!!) We both ran  as fast as we could to get away from the bone-crushing jaws of  this evil creature. We ran and screamed all the way to the cafeteria and told the group what had just happened...nothing really.... but I created a moment that Mike and I shared and experienced together. From then on we were friends until we graduated High School.
     Today,  I still try and create unique shared moments with someone. Those shared moments have the potential to start a wonderful friendship. Create a shared experience with someone today.