A few of the guys came by my pad for Super Bowl Sunday.  Through sheer luck of the draw, they each symbolized a different aspect of my personality; one of my ‘Hollywood’ friends, one of the Muskeeteers (my clubbing partner in crime), and one of my frat brothers.  I was reminded of an analogy another friend told me years ago now, but I still think it’s one of the best analogies I’ve heard in my life.  In essence, the relationships in your life are like bank accounts.  Professional, personal, sexual, friendship, family…all relationships. Let me make it plain…

if you put a little money in the ‘bank’ everyday, eventually it adds up and if you’ll need a ‘loan’, you’ll know that money is in the bank.

if you’re only putting money in the bank every once in a while, then when you need something in return, maybe you’ll have enough in there, maybe you won’t.

and I think we’re all familiar with the phrase ‘writing checks you can’t cash’.

Of course, now more than ever, we also know that you can put alot of money in the bank and that money just disappears, but that’s another story. 

Anyway, I’m not one for ‘keeping score’ so to speak, but the ‘bank’ analogy is one I keep in mind alot.  Not as much in terms of how others treat me (I’m well known to be a slow burn who warms up to people in time), but in how I approach others.  We all get stuck in that position once in a while, but you never (or at least I never) want to earn the reputation of ‘that guy who only calls/comes around’ when he wants something.  In my book, that’s a close second to the guy who only calls/comes around when everything is going well.   

One thing I’ve picked up on as I’ve gotten older is it’s harder to get away with the ‘he (or she’s) young’ excuse.  You reach a point where if you’re immature, you’re just immature, period.  I look at the relationships I’ve kept, I’ve lost, the ones that are still growing and that one’s that have run their course.  More than 9 times out of 10, I’d say I can make the bank analogy work.  The best friends are the relationships that at this point aren’t doing anything but ‘collecting interest’.  The fake friends (or the ‘frenemies’ as the young people say) are like high interest credit cards: you should have one around in case you need it, but Lord help you if you get in ‘too deep’.  And you know that ‘get rich quick’ scheme you put money into when you were younger, which you knew deep down wasn’t really going to work out, and every once in a while something happens to remind you how much ‘money’ you threw away?  Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about!

Anyway, no real point to this one.  Just food for thought.