Friends...How Many of Us Have Them?
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by Kayos
Michael Vick is facing some serious federal charges with his indictment. Not only is he having to deal with this federal scandal, he has to deal with the implications of suspension and the consequences of getting thrown out of the league for good by the NFL. More importantly, Michael Vick has no friends. I should amend the last comment and say Michael Vick has no true friends. In this huge indictment that has rocked the world and the dog fighting society, Vick was indicted with fellow conspirators who have now offered up evidence to the court that could lead to Vick's conviction in exchange for a plea which usually means a lesser punishment. In layman's terms, Vick is taking the fall for his friends.
His friends. Would they be considered his friends? A person who betrays what loyalty you have to one another. A person whom you have confided in. A person whom you've trusted "to have your back" as they say. A person who would "ride or die" with you every step of the way. These are people you call friends. Yet your friends have left you to hang dry on the government's clothing line while they get a chance to lighten their sentence because they cooperated with the Feds so you can take the full force of the situation at hand. These are the people you call friends. If these people are my friends, why would I need enemies?
It's not only Vick with a friend problem. Pacman Jones has this same problem. Come to think of it, many people in the NBA, the NFL, and MLB have this same problem. Many athletes have these friends -people who will "ride or die" with you until both of you are in trouble. Subsequently, friendship goes out of the window. The public hears stories of how our professional athletes will attend clubs, parties, and gatherings with their "posse" or "friends" and the next thing society hears is a story at the top of the hour. The story or stories range from disturbance to DUI/DWIs, to assaults and eventually murder/manslaughter.
When do we as people learn that friends are not always meant to be a permanent fixture in our lives? Friends are friends. We all need them. We need them to listen to our problems, give us sound advice, pat us on our back when we do something good, or just be there to have fun with. No one is saying to not have friends but how long does it take you to realize the person you are calling friend may not have your best interests at heart. When do you open your eyes to see they may be around you to get one step ahead of you? When do you wake up to reality that your friend has become a potential enemy? Athletes should be extra careful because of the new responsibility in their lives. Yet, they want to keep the guys that were there before fame and fortune. I understand that you try to salvage the people who know the real you but sometimes the ones that know you also know how to take advantage of you. They know your weaknesses. They know your strengths. They know exactly how to condemn you and all they will need is leverage to impose that on you.
I'm not saying all friends are like this. I'm not saying to not have them, either. What I am saying to Vick, Jones, Artest, and you is that sometimes you have to know when to cut people loose. You need to be able to judge and investigate what type of people you keep in your life. Eventually in the end, it will only be just you and your friends won't give a damn one way or the other.
