The Friends Every Man Needs

We all have friends. We all have acquaintances. But how many and what type of each do you have in your life? I don’t know if you ever stop and think about this subject, but men really should Friends make our life easier and more enjoyable.

Without friends, who would you sit and reminisce with about the “good old days?” And who would you call when you needed a hand with a project bigger than you can tackle on your own?

Cultivating friendships is cardinal among the things I think are most important for men to work on. In this post, I want to take you through the types of friends that every man needs in their life.

The Mentor

There will invariably be a time in every man’s life when he needs to lean on someone for advice. Whether it be about his career, his relationship, or any number of other things going on in the man’s life.

In a lot of cases, the spouse will take on this role. But who do you turn to when it’s the spouse that you need to talk about? What if it’s a “man” issue? As close as you should be with your significant other, there will be times when you just need to talk to another man and pick his brain.

Besides just dishing out advice, a mentor is also someone who can give you constructive criticism when you need it. A lot of friends will shy away from confrontation, but a mentor isn’t afraid to confront you when he sees you going astray.

A mentor can be tough to come by, but maybe you have a good relationship with a former boss or an older gentleman in your neighborhood. Wherever you find them, having a mentor you consider a friend is a needed part of your close circle.

The Handyman

When I use the term handyman, I don’t necessarily mean that in the literal sense. What I’m referring to is a friend who knows a little bit about everything. The friend you can call when you need a little help fixing your car, or when you need a little instruction on building a deck. In this sense of the term handyman, it can be someone who can teach you practical things you don’t already know. Having a handyman you can call is vital as he can help fill in gaps in your knowledge about a whole host of things. This friend is a handy man to know.

The Work Friend

Most men spend forty hours or more at work every week. And in most cases, their close friends don’t work there with them. Every man needs a friend at the office to shoot the breeze with. No one wants to eat lunch alone every day.

The work friend is the one who helps you get through the week and can make a long day feel a little shorter. You don’t have to relegate this friend to strictly a working relationship though. It’s perfectly fine if the friendship grows beyond work to things like going to sporting events together or getting together on the weekends with the families for a cookout. But know that you need a friend at work in your life to help keep you grounded and get through the daily grind.

The Old Friend

As we grow older and live our own lives, some friendships of the past seem to wither away. But we all need that old friend. The one you can sit and reminisce with. As you get older, you may find that you just don’t have as many friends as you did when you were younger, but these old friends are always just a phone call away, and interacting with them can keep you feeling a little bit younger as you relive your “glory days” through shared memories.

The Best Friend

And now we come to the most important friend on this list. A best friend is usually going to be a composite of all the other friends on this list. You make memories with your best friend that you find yourself looking back on together. Even when at work, an unexpected text from your best friend with a joke or a funny picture can really give you a boost to get through your day. A good best friend will also mentor you when he thinks you need it. And a best friend will be there beside you working on a project, even if he doesn’t have the skills or knowledge of the handy man friend.

Above all the other friends on this list, it’s the best friend who will build you up when you need it, and cut you down when you’re getting too cocky in life. The best friend will be at your wedding. The best friend will be there when your kids are born. And the best friend will be there in your times of grief. The best friend is your best friend for a reason. Be sure to reciprocate the support.

- Mick