OMG You Guys: The Six Friends Everybody Needs

Having friends is great. I love my friends. Some of them a little too much, one might say. I will go above and beyond for the people I truly care about and as an inherently social being am to be found out and about most evenings. And weekends for the matter. Some weeks I don’t really see my housemates because I come in once they are asleep and wake up as they are leaving just to rush around before work. 

Friends may come and go over the years, people that we were friends with at one point might have vanished from our lives for one reason or another. We grow up (hopefully) and our tastes change. We meet new people when we move for university or work or because of our new boyfriend (or girlfriend for that matter). 

But I strongly believe that there are certain people that we all need in our lives. Compiled is a list of the people I cherish and that we all should have our own version of.

1. The Best Friend

Someone who knows you inside out. Knows you better than you know yourself. They know all your deepest, darkest secrets. You tell them stuff that you find hard to admit to yourself. The label of “too much information” does not apply to this person – unless you committed murder, then you might find yourself in a slightly different situation! Your bestie can predict what sort of trouble you will get yourself into, they will dry your tears after a break up (and feed you chocolate and alcohol to make it better), they will be hung-over with you after a night out and they will bring you food and drugs when you are ill. In short, your life without this person would be very, very different. Probably very empty. 

I am lucky enough to have two people in my life like this. One of them is much more absent than the other but she knows and understands me just as much as the one who looks after me more than I like to admit. There is something to be said for having people who love and support you in the way these two girls do for me. Both of them have been in my life for years and it is impossible to think what it would be like without them around. 

2. The Cuddler

We all need a hug sometimes. Whether it be when we are feeling sad and exhausted or when we are happy and just need someone to celebrate with. And pretty much anyone can give us a good. But some people, and that’s the simple truth, are better at hugging and giving you a cuddle than others. One of my closest friends from home gives incredibly good hugs. His hugs are some of the best in the world I would say. You haven’t had a hug until you hugged him. However, I call dibs so you better get in line!

3. The Slut

We all need that one slutty friend in our lives. One that we can live through vicariously. One that will do things that we would never dare to do because we are either too shy or too afraid of what people might think. The slut is fiercely independent, confident and doesn’t seem to care very much of what others might think of them. Mostly they are the really good looking person in your life (or in Zoolander’s words “ridiculously good looking”) which explains why they can get away with their lifestyle. It will lead to many funny stories being told over glasses of wine or G&T. 

The slut is usually also very good at de-coding text messages if they are not too busy with their new found love interest of the day. So while their attention spam might be a little short, they are great people to have around for gossip as well as learn from when it comes to meeting people.

4. The LGBTler

Everyone needs a gay or lesbian friend, preferably a few of them. Not only will they educate you about fun things involving glitter (drag queen karaoke anyone) but you will also find yourself seeing human rights issues such as marriage equality in a completely different light because all of a sudden your friends are involved.

One of my closest gay friends also likes to regularly remind me that the grass is not always greener on the other side and that, as a matter of fact, love is just as complicated between two people of the same sex and that ‘The L Word’ was actually a pretty accurate representation of her social life.

 5. The Theater lover

The person you know will always be up for coming to see a play, always knows what is actually showing (when you don’t because you have been too wrapped up in uncultural social activities) and will drag you along to them by simply booking you a ticket for a date you oked. They are knowledgeable about the theater in a way that makes you feel slightly stupid and thoroughly uncultured but you love them for educating you along the way. 

Most of these creatures are also film lovers (they simply love a good story, set and lighting) and thus excellent friends to keep you company while watching any old film at the movies. Most likely they will know about the cool places that you can see movies, such as the Hot Tub movie theater of Secret Cinema.

 

6. The Childhood friend

We all need that one friend that we have known since we were 5. That has been there when you escaped from kindergarten. Who shared sandwiches with you during the breaks at school. Someone you have known for so long that it doesn’t matter if you don’t speak to them for months, it is always nice to see them. You might not be the best of friends but they are something to remind you of what it was like to be a kid and you can reminisce in all the things you got up to. It’s your 1-step nostalgia cure.

Friendship is a beautiful thing (cliché I know!) and I consider myself very, very lucky to have such wonderful friends all around. Some of them are not as much part of my life as they once were but that does not mean you cannot value having that person in your life. Friends are the ones who will help you grow and who will (hopefully and honestly) tell you when you are screwing up or need to get your act together. Friends support when they need to as much as they want us to support them. Its a delicate balance and should never be undervalued. Friendship means taking each other by the hand and getting through life together. 

Or as Albert Camus famously said “Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”