Who do you think of when you think of your friends?

I recently happened across an electronic list of people with whom I graduated high school. There are exactly 6 people that I really care about where they are and if they are okay. Out of a class of 448. I have been in contact with all of them in the past 2 years and I know if I had to or wanted to I could get in touch with any of them within 15 minutes, and I have not one of their phone numbers programmed into my cell phone.

My college friends put together a March Madness pool every year. I participate and relive college age smack talk for the duration of the play. But again out of this pool of guys I really only care about 3 or 4. The rest I wish well, but I don't really care day to day.

Here where I live there are about 10 people that I hang out with from time to time. A mix of college friends and people that I have happened to befriend or be introduced to over the past (jesus, I been here a while) 8 years. I am in weekly contact with them at a minimum and I see most of them at least monthly. Part of that is due to proximity.

Then there is this group of degenerate gamblers that I hang out with from time to time. I wish you lived here.

As my free time becomes more scarce I find myself being judicious as to whom I am willing to spend my time. Asshats and douchebags are out. I just don't have the time. Not only that, I look back at high school and college, at that list(s) of names and think about the time I wasted trying to "be friends" with bad people, people who I really don't care about now and only cared about then for bad reasons.

Life is precious. Don't waste your time on the undeserving.