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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 8, Issue 6 (October 2, 1933)

Cultivate Your Friends

Cultivate Your Friends.

To the busy woman, the woman with household tasks and the care of young children, I would say “Cultivate your friends.” Give up to them time you ill can spare. Even increase, from time to time, your tasks of baking and cleaning in order that you may entertain them comfortably. It is worth it. A busy woman has no time for acquaintances, but she should, for her own sake, develop incipient friendships with congenial people. Any expenditure of time and trouble in doing this is amply repaid in terms of relaxation, laughter, development of interests, brightening of mental outlook. Friendly chat, an hour or two of “play,” can make all the difference in our attitude towards what had seemed a depressing array of household tasks. A happier method of tackling the small problems of existence presages a happier approach towards the greater problems which life presents.

And now this question of acquaintances! How often do we meet women who are passively antagonistic and yet “keep up the acquaintance,” dragging through the dreary round of teas and bridge—for social intercourse is dreary when personalities are not in sympathy. How often Mrs. Smith says to Mr. S., “I must really ask Mr. and Mrs. Brown along for a game of bridge. You remember we were at their place that night you wanted to go to the lecture on the Douglas Credit System. I know you don't like Mrs. Brown, but we must have them.” So they have them and everything goes with a sparkle—on the surface—and a few weeks later Mrs. Brown mentions to Mr. Brown that they will have to fit the Smiths in somehow next week “though Mr. Smith does annoy you, doesn't he, darling?” Is it worth it? After all, we can't expect to be entirely in sympathy with everyone we meet, so why try to perpetuate a chance encounter and introduction which we know perfectly well will lead to no real friendliness on either side? Let such casual acquaintances lapse, and cultivate our friends.

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