Griffin Speaks
FIVE FRIENDS
Many
years ago a dear friend, my former college professor the late Dr. Rashid
Abdul Holloway told me that “if you have five friends when you go to your
grave consider yourself a lucky man.” I did not quite understand what he
meant by that statement until now. True friends are difficult to find!
My
thoughts on friendship were elevated by the visit last week I received from
my best friend, Atty. C. Howie Hodges II the son-in-law of the late Maynard
Holbrook Jackson Jr., former Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Howie and his
business colleague Brenda R. Branch, Vice President, Operations at Jackmont
Hospitality, Inc visited me for a few hours and we had a grand old time. We
had lunch at the Capital City Club and reminisced about old times.
When
the visit ended I began to think of how lucky I am to have such a wonderful
friend as Howie. As usual Howie looked like a movie star. I am beginning to
think he might be a vampire. He seems ageless. Women continue to gasp as he
passes by. Fortunately for his wife she is even more attractive than he is.
They are truly a great looking couple. Elizabeth and I have been friends
even longer than Howie and me. So there you have it two of my five friends Howie
and Beth.
Friendship
is a deep relationship. There is simply no substitute for true friendship.
You are relaxed and comfortable around true friends. It is an honor to be
someone’s friend. Another close friend, Atty. Jeh Charles Johnson, a
partner at the New York law firm of Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton &
Garrison introduced me to Beth twenty-eight years ago. Jeh called and asked
me if I wanted to meet Mayor Maynard Jackson’s daughter. I said, “sure,
What does she look like?” He said, “She’s
groovy man!” I would later introduce Beth to her husband of twenty
years, Howie. The rest is history.
In
deep true friendships people can trust you with their secrets, both large
and small. If you are someone’s true friend you never break a confidence.
Loose lips sink ships! If you hear someone breaking a friend’s confidence
then you know they are not to be trusted. Trust and loyalty is what it’s
all about. The two go hand-in-hand.
I
have another close friend who post my articles on my web page every week.
Atty. Sy Holmes and I met on a street corner in Pittsburgh, Pa. twenty-five
years ago. I would later introduce him to his wife of 19 years the former
Elaine Jefferson, Bill Cosby’s goddaughter. Elaine’s dad, Mr. Jefferson,
Bill Cosby and Black Enterprise Magazine’s CEO, Earl Graves were best
friends at Temple University. The three men were on the track team together.
I
was expecting to have a big weekend. Debra and I received an invitation to
the Governor’s 61st birthday celebration and an invitation to Federal
Judge Myron Thompson’s 25th anniversary of dedicated service in
the federal judiciary. The two events conflicted, but we were not able to
attend either one, because everyone in the house was under the weather
except me. A close doctor friend of mine visited my home the other day for a
few moments and he got sick. So I didn’t want to risk passing anything on
that may be lurking around my house.
People are often amazed at how I am able to walk around like a jackrabbit at the age of 47. It is simple; I eat right and exercise daily. My dad, Dr. Melvin J. Griffin Sr. is 75 and he is still working and walking around like a jack- rabbit. He says his secret is that he doesn’t worry about anything. He grins from ear to ear every day all day long! Until next weekend have a great week and keep the faith!
Greg
Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by
visiting his web page at www.greggriffin.com
