Without me knowing, my friend Herbert submitted my blog to a curated directory. It got accepted. So now, everyone who browses Minifeed has a chance to discover my work. How awesome is that?
Herbert didn’t try to barter a deal with me. “If I do this for you, will you do that for me?” He simply saw an opportunity, thought of me, and happened to be in a kind place. So he was generous, and it made my entire day.
There’s a lot of talk about “friends in high places,” but, often, those aren’t friends at all. They’re parties you must negotiate with. Each deal comes with a lot of stress, and it only takes one backfiring for the whole relationship to sour.
I’d rather have friends in kind places. People who think of me every now and then, be it by design or by association, and who then have the headspace to throw me a bone. That’s how I try to live as well. Whenever I meet someone creative, I bring them a copy of Herbert’s book. Sometimes, I forget about it for a few weeks. But then I meet someone new, I remember Herbert, and I bring the book to the occasion.
It is better to know a few people who care about you than to care about a lot of people who don’t really know you. Stick with friends in kind places.