On the Timing of Relationships

I've been thinking recently about the timing of relationships.

When I did a mental survey of my friends and how we got to know one another I was amazed.

Some of my friend relationships were love at first sight. With those people I feel like there was no lead in time. We just seemed to have known each other forever.

Other friends I got to know through another person or through a common event. Those friendships are fun because usually they begin with shared experience and inside jokes.

There is a third group of friends that I find infinitely interesting. These people start as random people that you see here and there and you know their face but you don't know or speak to them. Then one day all of the sudden you find them right square in the middle of your "homies". You find out that they are right interesting and that you like them a lot. I always find myself asking the question "Why did I not know this person before?"

When I look though my Facebook friends there is a very clear stratification of people. Very few of those friends, however, are from the third group. This is what got me thinking about the topic. I was thinking about our individual journeys through life. I'm certain that how we relate to people has everything to do with what's going on in life. I think maybe sometimes we aren't ready for people and they aren't ready for us. I'm guessing that's a rarely counted blessing. I know for certain that there are times in my life where it's best I not be subjected to people at all, especially new ones.