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In 1985, hip-hop group Whodini challenged the masses in their biggest hit song with the question, "Friends, how many of us have them?" Twenty-two years later I add to the question by not only asking how many of us have them, but what types of friends are there in our lives. Although all of your friends are different in many ways, there are four basic categories of friendship that each individual can come together and fit into collectively.

An impersonal platonic relationship between two people is one way to define the meaning of the word friend. This type can be classified as social or a familiar acquaintance .An example of this is where someone may have lunch with his or her co-worker daily to converse about sports, work, or other general topics of conversation. Although their relationship does not go any further than the lunch break, it is a form of camaraderie shared by the two people in terms of personal involvement. This is also the most typical type of friend we as Americans share because of the many different avenues in which we deal with one another.
At the age of fifteen I met a person, who some fifteen years later would still be what is categorized as a best friend. In ninth grade I had the opportunity to go a school in north western Pennsylvania where I was the only male minority in the entire school. As you could imagine not only was the weather cold but the people as well. Racial slurs, stereotypical comments about my shoe size, anything you could think of was done to break my spirit. Through these troubles I met a fellow student named B.J who often inquired why I did nothing but laugh at the kids that said these hurtful things to me. It was his act of concern at a young age that formed the foundation for our friendship. Years later, the loyalty and reliability that remains have kept us best friends.
"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" (Moncur.), is a philosophy that Sun Tzu, Chinese general and military strategist (~400 BC), encouraged through dictatorship. It is a principle that even before the birth of Christ set regulations on friendship as it pertained to war and potential betrayal. There are friends in your life that make you strive to do better, because they themselves are doing well. Although they are not an enemy per say, it is an involved competitive relationship with a friendly nature. This relationship can keep you optimistic and also help you become successful in your own life.
Through all the friends you will gain and lose in life, there are a group of people in your life that is more important than any. The fourth category consists of people who are not really friends at all. It is your family, and their bond can be more influential on your life than any other category of friend. These are people that have known you for your entire existence and have the most insight into your personality. They care for you, love you, and even at times fight with you, although the reason is usually because it is out of love, and they want the best for you. Though the other categories of friends have the potential to come and go, your kin will be there and support you without end. The topic of friends has been covered through song, movies, and the word friends itself became the title of a hit television series. You may have many, or you may have few, but each one falls into at least one of these categories, if not more, and is involved specifically for those purposes. Embrace them all for how they enrich your life, and how they all are a part of you. Friends are everywhere, and all of us certainly have them.

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