Seriously, times fly. One month and ten days have just silently crept passed by me without me noticing it. And it scares me with a “BOO!” when I came here a week or so ago. Shivers went down the spine....

Okay, that was way way exaggerated. I was just trying to 'practice' my composition. Apparently, I think it's not good enough, and so it shouldn't be used in narrative writing. Anyway, I should end my not so introductory introduction. But before you read on, take a deep breath and promise not to scold me. Everything written is my opinion, and brought out just to let people think. (Actually almost everything written here is my opinion.)

Contrary to what it might seem to be on the title, I am not trying to show you how you can actually get friends by using money. What I want to say today is to point out that there are circumstances when using money actually build friendship, even when you do not meant it to be.
But actually, I think that the argument is weak, and I am just bringing it out so that I have something to post and also to hopefully, let you ponder upon it.

Firstly, friendship can be actually 'bought' through treats to one another. Let me show it to you in a story. So there were this group of people who had the same feathers (bird of the feathers flock together) and they were eating in a fast food restaurant at a particular day. Let's say there were four people there, Mark, John, James and Charles. (Apologies to feminist who wants equal representation of males and females.) So maybe, John, James and Charles asked Peter to help them buy the food. In their mind, they know they were going to pay Peter back. But Peter, being somebody to cares more about his money, asked them to contribute some money first, before he will go to buy the food.

Now, we shall pause over here and think. What would you reaction be, if you met somebody like this? Would you think that he's a stingy fellow and get not so happy with him? Would you? (Asking a rhetorical question here, as what the guidelines for persuasive writing says) You might also think that Peter is being calculative and does not trust you in paying him back.

“Three, two, one, action!” The story now continues and it's another brand new day. (太阳公公起床了……) and once again this four guys are at the fast food restaurant again. (Sooner or later, they will have their arteries blocked due to excess fat taken in from fast food. But that's not the point now.) They didn't want history to repeat itself again, and so John and James asked Charles to buy the food for them while Charles also happily volunteered to do so. So off Charles went and came back with lots of food. Just as John and James were taking out their wallets intending to pay Charles, (Peter expected Charles to treat him) he told them that he was treating them and they didn't have to pay any money.

Let's pause here once again, and think about Charles' actions. Would you appreciate what Charles had done, and like him more for doing so? Thou Charles might not have been so 'scheming', to gain liking from others by treating others, it is true that by treating the others, they will like him. So even if Charles sincerely wanted to treat the others, he has been actually using money to 'buy' friendships, albeit unknowingly.

(Is it time I end my post? It seems long enough already...TOO long, actually)

But, I still have another supporting point, though in some sense it's quite similar to the one above.

So secondly, it is possible to buy friendship through the use of presents (And to get the present, one has to buy it. Therefore, from the root, one is using money to buy friendship)
Let's say Betty, Karen and Susan (feminists, here I come!) are good friends who spend their days together. As long as one sees one of them, one can be sure that the other two are in a ten metres radius.

Anyway, it's Betty's birthday and both Karen and Susan are excited as if it's their birthday. Both have prepared presents for Betty, but it's totally different for the two. Karen being more careful with her money (same as Peter) decides not to buy anything, but to 'use her sincerity' to touch Betty. Susan, being more generous bought something, while writing a letter to Betty too.
I am not trying to say that Betty is materialistic, but who do you think Betty will prefer more when she receives both friend's presents? There is a higher possibility that Betty appreciate Susan's presents more, because Karen went through the extra mile to buy a present. Even if Betty prefers Karen's at that point of time, memories will fail her in time to come, and she will forget about what Karen has done. But for Susan, Betty will still keep a piece of memory of Susan in time to come. Therefore, once again, Susan has used money to buy friendship, though she never meant it to be.

Now, I'm going to change the story. The three girls are not very good friends, but they are on talking terms. Karen just said “Happy Birthday” and all was it, while Susan went to buy something (which is of quite a low value as she isn't close with Betty). Now, how long will Betty remember Karen's “Happy Birthday” and how long will she keep Susan's present? Obviously, Susan's present will be kept for a longer period of time than her remembering Karen's wish. So when Betty looks back, she will remember how 'good' a friend Susan was, and not Karen. Thus, though unintentionally, Susan has used money to buy friendship.

With this, I have come to an end of this post. So what do you think of the statement that 'Friendship is bought with money?” Do ponder about it.

See you sometime I don't know when. :D

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