Isn't it amazing how the mind works! As I sat down with a dear friend of mine from many years ago, I realized that our bodies may change, our scenery may change, but we are really the same person that we have always been. I cherish my friendships over the years as much as I would gold. Probably more because I could stand to lose gold. I have been rich and I have been poor and as the saying goes "rich is better". To wake up every morning with a roof over my head and food in the fridge is great thing. There are many people all over the world who can't say that. and I am sorry for them. I know we all are born with a destiny designed for each and every one of us. That being said, I feel that  what we do after we are born helps to determine that destiny, good or bad. I can honestly say that on my journey I have been happy and sad, but every single thing has helped form the person that I am today. I still like me but I don't always love me . As we age I think that  how we regurgitate what we have experienced helps to determine what kind of a person we are today. A very good policy is that you want to to make new friends and keep friends that you have. One must change with the times. However, don't try to be a teenager in your sixties or an old man in your  teens. Something that I would tell people of all ages don't let yourself be bored or you will end being boring to all. We can always be excited about every single day even if it means just being able to get out of bed. I try to be open to anything that happens every day. For the last eighteen years there have been many things that have happened to me where I might not be too excited about what the day may hold. There is always something to make you happy even if it is just the pretty nurse who wants to take more blood or a bird that sits on the ledge outside your room. Happiness is contagious.