Being Friendly

Being friendly is really about liking people and wanting to serve them is some small way. It is so simple - so selfless - you just have to chose to do it. And, the rewards are incredible. Maybe if you have enough pride or money you don't need friends. It would have to be a lot of pride, or, an awful lot of money to replace friendships with any degree of satisfaction. Friendships are what make life fun and rewarding. Today my neighbor, Dave L., honked and waived as he pulled out of his driveway. Dave is pretty quiet by nature and certainly not a honker! So, it was really cool that he would do something like honk. Actually, it was more of a toot.

Earlier in life, I thought about living alone in the woods, a recluse. [Maybe I was having some self-esteem issues? who knows!] Meanwhile, the pastor in Bethel, Kenny Andrus, had left me alone on the Innoko River because he had run out of space in his plane, the result of a successful moose hunt. At last - I was alone in the Alaskan wilderness - for days - by my self! A real Albert Johnson! (The Mad Trapper from Rat River.)

For a couple of days it was really fun. Then, it started getting to me. I shot at mice in the middle of the night, read everything I could find, and tried sneaking up on wildlife in a canoe. A young bull moose didn't respond well to this. When Kenny landed, I was soooo excited! I talked non-stop the whole way back Bethel.

It is nice to have friends!