Great Friends

A friend from Ohio visited me in Los Angeles yesterday. We spent a lot of times hanging out, and talking about our futures and being really close friends. When I got into my car accident, she was one of the first to tell me that she would've been the first in town and already contacted me as to where I was. She grew up to be a nurse. Hadn't seen her in person in over 20 years.
I value friendships like these more than you realize. They are the people who ground you when you seek out employment in entertainment business. TOO many people come out here and abandon those people. With great reason to their emotional state for sure. It's a difficult ride which leads to a TON of disappointment. Which is what a lot of people here get on a daily basis. Wear and tear. These are the people who remind you that they knew you when. Most out here don't want to hear that. Most scoff and claim it to be a childhood dream. Or worse, feel obligated to succeed because of these "promises." The insidious part about this business is that our accomplishments or failures are out in public. If I had a friend who is an accountant (which, sorry accountants, I'm not sure if any dream of becoming accountants, their jobs are kept to what is in the office. Which is why, a lot of times, they prefer knowing about your life. It's exciting in the sense that it is not the norm. It's high exposure, thus high attention. And people get out of their doldrums going to watch movies. So you offer them that.
Having great friends who understand that you don't have to be a Spielberg or a Scorsese to be good at what you do IS life affirming. Since most people who makes "friends" here are always wanting to know their next project. Never mind they rarely ask "what's the movie about?" It's usually, "oh? what's the budget? Who do you have in it?" These types of people drive me nuts.
True friends pick up where you left off. Phony friends (much of Hollywood) will ditch you if your movie failed or you can't further their career.
Having lifelong friends is essential. If you don't...I pity you.