My friends, of course!

by Keith
(Durango, CO)

The clean air, the challenge of a good hike, the sunrises, the campfire, even the all-powerful lure of the s'more -- all of this pales in comparison to hanging around with my good friends for some real "quality time."



Most of the time, it's difficult to even have a conversation with someone without distractions butting in. The ever-present cell phone, the rush of everyday life, the lure of running here or there. But when we get away for the weekend (the rule is always No Cell Phones), we can actually sit around and talk for hours with not a single interruption. And, of course, there's no better place to do this than around the campfire (once you figure out which way the smoke is going to blow!).

My best friend actually craves this time when she has been running around too ragged for too long. She'll ask me, usually in the middle of a stressful moment, "When are we going camping?" It's like a natural response now to the pressure of everyday life.

I'm starting to think our lives are supposed to be more like camping trips than what they usually are, and our friendships should be the way they are around campfires.