Loyalty.

I was sent an email today by one of the partners requesting my opinion
on a client who has hit rough times and is lagging in paying our fees.

The question of loyalty popped into my mind in varying degrees.

I remember some of the funnier times when I was a wee teen growing up
with a pretty close circle of friends. From touring around our 'hood all day in our BMXs to hanging out at each other’s place for hours on end, we had a special bond going. This probably lasted until we discovered girls.

Slowly, you’d see information about members of the group being divulged to the opposite sex. Embarrassing details being regurgitated back to us in front of other females by someone the rest of us have only met for a few minutes. Details that could send the weak scurrying back to their mama’s teat. I’m sure almost every male has encountered such betrayal to what was once a circle of trust and loyalty.

Why?

As Morgan Freeman’s character in Edison puts it ever so eloquently –
‘Pussy’.

I’m not even sure if we knew what to do with those things at that age
but the point is, the female species can break any male to male bond that
in some cases takes a lifetime to build. There is always someone in a group that will crumble at the very sight of a female looking in their direction. If the girl winked, these guys would have a total mental blackout.

Ever had a friend disappear on you for months on end? Or how about a
friend that says he’s too busy to even grab a bite with you when you guys used
to hang out every other day? Why do they do it?

That’s right. Think Morgan Freeman.

The next thing you know, the girl your good friend was seeing has somehow
downloaded all known information about you from your friend. So, when
you meet and she says, ‘I’ve heard so much about you’, trust me. She has.

As I grow older, I sometimes begin to miss that bond. That feeling of
loyalty amongst friends when we were young, single and devoid of any
female distractions.

Man, that sounded so gay!

I don't think any of us seriously blamed each other for our loose lips (some looser than others) or that we cared, but it was pretty embarrassing and sometimes shocking when people mention details about you that you thought only a select few knew.

Loyalty and trust are two elements that are important in any
relationship. But in a business relationship, I rate loyalty more important than
trust because you can have trust without loyalty but you cannot have loyalty
without trust. Obviously, this has to be done with due consideration.

Either way, it's only right to be fiercely loyal to the people that have stuck by you
through thick and thin and I believe that you don’t actually know anyone until
you need help. That is when your true friends are revealed.