Black in classic

Google defines acquaintance as “a person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend.” These are people that you are only slightly familiar with. In my opinion, I think people use this definition as it relates to the term friend. Speaking for only myself, I know the majority of my relationships are acquaintances and almost none are friends. This can be attributed to a lot of different factors, but this post is meant to explore the different terminology.  Friend is a term that I think is thrown around very loosely. In this generation, I don’t believe people place much value on what the word friend means. Friend is a strong word and means a lot. It is someone that I believe to be in my corner for whatever happens in life. It is someone that you talk to often and check in with often. For me, an acquaintance is someone that you know either well or not that well but your interactions with them are the same. You can know someone very well and they still be an acquaintance because the bond is not there. That’s where the difference is for me. I judge people off their interactions with me. People confuse time known with time spent.

I’ve known you for a long time, but I haven’t spent that much time with you. Friendships are HARD WORK. It becomes less of a friendship when I see you maybe three times a year and speak to you only on social media. That’s not a friendship, you are an acquaintance. Many people will take offence to that, but I find it more offensive to call someone a friend that you hardly speak to. Don’t call me a friend and I hear from you on birthdays and when you send happy holiday text messages to everyone in your contact. Being clear on these terms really is important in our generation. I think every year people say they’re cutting people off that they don’t even need to acknowledge. I don’t cut many people off because we were never that close to being with. That’s the bottom line.  I am someone who loves deeply, so it is hard for me to acknowledge someone as an intricate part to my life if they do not measure up. Friendship is no different. I refuse to call anyone a friend that doesn’t measure up. That includes myself. However, I can only mirror your actions. If I’m not the first person you think to invite somewhere, number one: don’t invite me BUT also don’t say I’m your friend. The people that you always talk to, hang out with, know about, inquire about, see about; those are your friends. I am in way shape or form say I’m not guilty of this. But, like I mentioned I can only give what I am receiving. Friendship is a bicycle with two seats and two sets of petals. It takes two to make it work. It can’t only be either of us doing the work solely. So to finish this out, take a look at who you are calling your friend and evaluate if you are truly treating them like a friend.