Friendship







A ring of friendship is like a chainmail

mantle. There is a group of links that

are firmly attached, strong and sturdy,

meant to last for all time.





Then sometimes, one of the links decide

that there is a desire to bring a new

link into the fold. As this mantle is

so firmly attached, the other links, move

to make way for the shiny new link.

Looking forward to making an even bigger

and better mantle.





Also sometimes, this shiny new link is

not as shiny and new as first appeared.

As the corrosion is starting to show

through the cheap silver paint, the

other links seem to be the first to

notice that something is wrong.





As the rust and corrosion start to

destroy the mantle, the first link

is still oblivious to the destruction.

As the other links send out warnings

of doom, it falls on deaf ears.





Eventially, the mantle falls to the

floor, some of the links are still firmly

attached, leaving the first link and the

corrupted link firmly attached to only

each other.





The first link blames the older links,

for the destruction, and clings fast

to the shiney new one. (Still blinded of

the weakness of the newer link) The first

link forgets the strength of the mantle

before the new link was woven in.





She begins to feel the older links are

letting her down. Blinded to the fact,

that the corrosion of the newest link, is

what caused the mantle to fall.





Only remembering the strength that she,

herself brought to the mantle in the past.

Forgetting also that by her bringing a

new link into the mantle, it is her

responsibility for the safety of the

mantle as a whole.





The older links which are still firmly

attached, go on and form into their own

mantle and carry on, leaving a hole that

was once occupied by the first link.






The moral of this story is:


While it is just fine to bring a new friend

into a ring of tightly woven friends, don't

be blinded as to what the new friend may be

doing to the "mantle". You can't expect the

older "links" to remain, if you are allowing

them to be attacked. There are people out

there that delight in destroying what

other's have spent a life time building.