Friend is a flexible word with many meanings.

————

Welcome, welcome, welcome. This is What’s Up radio broadcasting from big, beautiful clear-channel WALTZ. I’m Tuck Avery. My co-conspirator is Buzz Belton. We wanna know what you think about friends. We all have friends: good friends; disappointing friends. friends we didn’t know we had; all kinds of friends.

Buzz: I had a friend in third grade.

That’s nice Buzz. . . Who we got on the line.? Well Tuck, Chuck from Tippin, says the best friends are old friends.

Tuck: That sounds right, but don’t you have to make a new friend before you can have an old friend. Chuck: Yah, sure, I just meant you can’t be certain you have a friend ‘till they’ve been around for a while. Buzz: How long would it take to be certain? Chuck: Oh, I don’t know, maybe until you start thinking of your new friend as your old friend. Tuck: What if your old friend lets you down? Chuck: Then they never was a friend anyway. Tuck: You’re a hard man Chuck.

Buzz: We got Cheryl on the line from Uptown. She thinks if you want to have a friend, you have to be a friend. Friendship should be more about what you do for your friend than what your friend does for you. Cheryl: That’s right. Too many of us are too selfish to have friends. Friends care about each other. If my friend ever let me down I would forgive her because I know she would never do that on purpose. Tuck: You’re a gentle soul Cheryl. I guess more folks would have longer friendships if more of them thought like you do. Buzz: Chuck and Cheryl have very different ideas about friendship. It’s interesting though that they both focused on true friendship. How many kinds of friendship are there?

Tuck: Good question - Bill, in Ward 5 at Denton Ville State prison thinks were making too much of the matter. But wait, I hear the music coming up. We’ll be right back

---

Buzz: You’re on the air Bill.

Bill: Friends are just guys ya hang around with, that’s all. Chuck’s right, though ‘bout friends you can count on, ‘specialy ‘round here. Cheryl’s got a point too; guess I’ll have to wait ‘til I get out’a here before I try that. I had a lotta friends on the outside. Friends from the garage, friends from the bar . . . Well, I guess that’s about it. Just guys ya hang out with, that’s all, Ya know, just regular friends.

Buzz: I think Bill speaks for a lot of people. Friends are just people you hang out with. Tuck: What about people you work with, are they friends? Tuck picks up the phone. Hello Diane, What’s up?

Diane: Hy, I’m calling from work. There are people in this office who are certainly not my friends. Back-stabbing is the mode de ‘jure around here. Tuck: I wonder what Cheryl would do if she worked at your office. Diane: Cheryl’s a saint, I’m talking about real life.

Buzz: Hey, we got Tommy on the line calling from Pleasantville. He wants to talk about “hello friends”. Tuck: Never heard of a “hello friend”. Please tell. Tommy: I always wave and say

hello to the guy across the street when we’re both out mowing. Don’t really know him, but we wave and say hello. That’s a hello friend. Buzz: Hadn’t thought of it that way. Guess we all have hello friends.

Tuck: True friends, Back-Stabbing friends, “hello friends”. What more? Does the word, friend, always require a modifier? It’s a very flexible word with many meanings. I can’t disagree with any of our callers. Buzz: Me neither, that’s my modified opinion.

Tuck: Mmm, let’s take another call. Maybe Professor Kimble from our Community Collage can give us a clear definition. Hello Professor Kimble. What’s up?

Professor Kimble: Ahem . . . the meaning is not in doubt. The Webster dictionary on my desk states it quite clearly: 1. A person who has a strong liking for and trust in another person. 2. A person who is not a foe. 3. A person who helps and supports. I’ve paraphrased that a bit for the sake of simplicity. It’s hardly a mysterious word. Buzz: Gee professor, that’s kind’a cold-blooded and maybe too simple. The Tin-Man might be satisfied with that answer, but then, the Tin-Man didn’t have a heart.

Tuck: Good point Buzz. How ‘bout that Professor? What’s the emotional meaning of, friend? Professor Kimble: I wouldn’t know. I deal in facts, not emotion.

Buzz: Oops, there’s the music. We’ll have to get the Professor’s answer after the break.

---

Tuck: We’re back. The Professor has hung-up, but Sheryl has called back. Hello Sheryl. What’s up? Sheryl: I feel so sad listening to so many people who think of friendship as a business deal, or a contract, or a situation. I mean, “Friends are just people you hang-around with”, “ Friends are people who don’t let you down”. So much concentration on what they get, rather than what they give. Friendship is a blessing to be cherished. It’s an opportunity to be a blessing to someone else. It should be embraced with no regard for getting something back.

Buzz: Sheryl gets the last word on friendship. I’m afraid we’ve mis-managed our time. The show’s almost over. I think we’ll go out with Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton singing, You Can’t Make New Old Friends.

Tuck: Tune-in tomorrow; we’ll WALTZ again and talk about . . . What’s Up.

By K. L. Shipley