Keep your Friends Close

Keep your Friends Close

"Based on the unfriendly state that our economy is in, I'd say our software company is doing quite well at fifty dollars per share. Good job ladies and gentlemen. This meeting is adjourned," I said.

The Senior Head Committee members stood up from their chairs and left the conference room. I just ended the Quarterly-Sales Review meeting. This is another day's work of a Chief Executive Officer. It is tiring having to worry about the slow progress of the economy and its effects on thousands of businesses. I am glad my company is in the videogame industry unaffected by the unstable economy.

With the holiday season pouring in cash from videogame sales, there is no need to worry. It is a week before Christmas. I should be home with my family. I stared up at the ceiling and then outside the window from the thousand-foot skyscraper I am in. Thirty years I imagined after I graduated from college and thought about my life. All those years of hard work from high school to college has finally paid off. Balancing studying for my classes and playing videogames gave me a perspective that I will be designing videogames as my job after school. I never would have thought of owning a videogame software company. I wonder how my life became so successful.

I stopped staring at the window and looked at my redwood desk. There I saw a framed picture of my family and I during a family reunion ten years ago. I remember pouring champagne on my shirt that weekend. My wife snatched a tissue paper from her purse and tried to wipe out the stain. My wife offered a toast earlier for my recent promotion as Chief Supervisor at my job. Everyone was so happy. That was our last reunion.

A thought came to my mind. My family has always been supportive of me especially my parents. My kids bring me joy and laughter. My wife has always been my friend on many occasions on work and family trouble. In fact, all of them have been my friend throughout the years.

High videogame sales are one consideration, but family makes my life successful. My company may have made the number one top-selling game of all time, but nothing can compare the love and support of my parents, kids, and wife. Nothing can compare the love and support of my family. My family's support keeps me working and challenging myself. They are my inspiration when I wake up at five-thirty in the morning to go to work. I cannot help myself remember this old Mafia movie and how the "Don" tells his nephew, "Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer." I prefer the former.

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I wrote this as my essay for the Rouse Scholarship Program for Howard Community College (HCC) in December of 2002 as a senior in high school. I was accepted and got the scholarship at HCC. Sadly, I turned it down. University of Maryland – College Park (UMCP) would only accept me in the fall semester the following year. I was accepted to University of Maryland – Baltimore County (UMBC) for fall semester. I went with UMBC.

I think about turning points in my life such as this. How my college life would have gone if I took the scholarship program? I would have done two years in community college and transfer to College Park to get my bachelor's degree. My life would have been so different. Different set of friends. Different set of people I know. Different set of experiences. Different set of heartaches. It's nice to imagine having a different "me." The "me" who took a different path in the road. There are lots of "what ifs," but all of these are taken into account in hindsight.

When I wrote the essay or short story, I never once mentioned the word "friend(s)" outside of its context, which is a quote from The Godfather. It's not that I forcefully omitted the word. I had to write the essay in 500 words or less. To keep the essay concise and prevent myself from rambling, I grouped friends into family. Friends have come and gone… and I like the close friendships I have.

If I somehow managed to go back in time… if I had to do it all over again and decide which path to choose from, I'd pick the same choice. No regrets. All the hardships, headaches, and heartaches I went through, it made me what I am today… and I like me.

I'm done.