People are all around us. Relationships, friendship, kinship…whatever you call it, we associate ourselves with others. But, in doing so, we tend to want to define relationships. You are person A : you are my friend. You are person B : you are an acquaintance. In giving relationships these definitions…we must be careful not to give people titles they do not wish to have.
Friendships are tricky, especially new ones. Especially with females. When I make a new friend of the same sex, I get a bit excited and don’t quite know whether to stop speaking to continue talking, whether I’m being a bit of a rash or whatnot. It’s almost like having a new boyfriend, to think of it. New people excite us, they make us want to talk more, reveal more and interact. But beware of naming such relationships too soon. Getting close very quickly and springing the “OMG you’re like my best friend!” could become intensely awkward if the person sees you as nothing more than just a friend.
Then here comes the crux of the matter : the expectations associated with the title. It’s usually this that people can’t deal with, not just the title itself, for that is just a word. Let’s sustain the example of “you’re my best friend.” People may not want to bear that weight – to be the ‘best friend’ implies you’re willing to help them out when things are tough, listen to their endless moans about life, take their 6AM phonecalls etc. If someone isn’t willing to deal with the baggage associated with a title then… they get freaked out and may change the way they interact with you.
And that’s where the trouble begins on your part. You begin to see another side to your new friend. You become disappointed with the way they react to you because they’re suddenly drifting from the predetermined mould of what you’d regard as a best friend. Your fault, really. You shouldn’t have had expectations in the first place.
This is the end of my sad drone. So don’t be quick to call people something, or categorize them in your life. Let relationships with people be whatever they will be, homie. Now, what expectations does homie carry? Nothing, really. It’s just a stupid slang word we use with connotations of friendship. Keep it neutral. Use the ‘homie’ word.
