Marion Winik is a creative writing instructor and commentator for National Public Radio who wrote “What Are Friends For? ” an excerpt from her memoir “Telling” (1995).
Winik states that “Buddies are the workhorses of the friendship world, the people out there on the front lines, defending you from loneliness and boredom. ” Marion goes on to discuss Relative Friends who are family by birth but friends by choice. They tend to be your best memory keepers. A Faraway Friend is similar to a Relative Friend in that they are someone you grew up with and remind you of your old days.
These friends tend to come and go from your life on a whim but always remain your friend. If this person were closer they might be a Buddy or Hero Friend. Relationships with Coworkers can seem close while at work, but never quite solidify outside of the job. This friendship quickly fades if either of you leave the company.
Former Friends and Friends That You Love to Hate are linked in a way that you can hate them both. Friends That You Love to Hate make you feel good about yourself and you tend to want to keep them close.They are definitely someone you can always talk about to others. Former Friends are easily disposed of relationships due to “misunderstandings”, “betrayed trusts”, an “ill-conceived flirtations” or any other number of conflicts. Your hero friends are the ones who are always saving the day with sweetness and modesty that make them impossible to hate.
Lastly there are new friends. These friends allow you to get a fresh start and become interesting to someone again. A new friend can feel “almost like falling in love”.
