My friends rock. I have some I’ve known since first grade, back when we rode the school bus together and played on the school playground. Others have been in my life since high school or college, and still others I’ve met only this year.
So when yesterday’s #reverb10 post asked about Friendship, I was intrigued. The prompt asks, “Friendship How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?”
The best friends shift your perspectives in ways that you don’t realize at the time. They don’t force you to change; rather, through invitations to new events, new ideas, offhand comments, suggestions, etc – they enhance and enrich your life, opening new doors. Your world expands in ways that you don’t see or grasp until you step back and think about it.
But if I had to nail down one who really changed my perspective in 2010, I’d point to Jenn, a relatively new friend I met through my boss. We’re both newish runners who work with social media, but I’ve learned so much from her. Jenn’s creativity in the kitchen has inspired me to start actually cooking – and enjoying it. Her approach to food is wholesome, natural foods. I had dabbled in such cooking but couldn’t really translate it into daily life. Now that I’ve cracked the code, I feel so much more energetic and capable – huge wins. Meanwhile, watching someone who started running after I did run a half marathon in August pushed me to set the bar high for myself. We commiserated after the Hot Chocolate 15k and plan on sharing the F*cking Freezing Frozen Lake Half Marathon next month – we’re already questioning our sanity. Essentially, she’s just plain cool.
The other friends who have had a huge impact me are the #runnerds on Twitter. I can’t count how many (usually weekend) mornings I’ve felt like lounging and being lazy with coffee and newspapers, rather than going out for a run. I do love to run, but on weekend mornings, there’s a certain freedom that comes with laziness. But then I flip to Twitter and see how many of my #runnerds friends have already come back from their 4 or 7 or 18 mile runs, and I know I should do likewise before the day falls apart. Having such a community celebrating shared successes has gotten me off the couch. And they’re awesome in real life, too.
Do you have a friend who has changed your perspective this year?
This post is part of #Reverb10, a month-long project to reflect on the year nearly gone. Read all my #Reverb10 posts, or learn more.
Adventures of the Former Elginista 
*wipes tears* Crysta, you ROCK! Meeting you virtually and then IRL has definitely been a highlight of my year too! I love that we’ve both become runners, and that we’re both marketing geeks, who’ve found an online tribe of #runnerds who are oddly also mostly marketing geeks. To think that all of this goodness comes from Twitter, DailyMile, and a few strategic nudges from David have changed our world. Life is good. Thanks for the friendship, and I look forward to freezing out there with you on January 29 – we’ll get each other to that finish line!
Hear, hear! Thanks for being so wonderful and inspiring, Jenn! Here’s to an even better 2011! (Once we get past that pesky cold half marathon…)