The world was perceived as less difficult when standing next to a close friend than when standing next to someone who was less close or no one at all. (Way, p. 9)

I wanted to use the whole paragraph previous to this quote as my MVP, but it would have been way too long! This mini-story in Way’s article was incredible and opened my eyes as to the types of meaningful friendships males can have. I have to admit, I was among those who thought male friendships were more for “chumming around” than discussing meaningful feelings. But it seems that in reality male friendships are not so different from female friendships, in that they both involve emotions.

The hill story can be applied to friendships of both genders – the world can always be perceived as less difficult when with a close friend or someone you care about. I intend to be more observant in my life as a teacher when it comes to male friendships in my classes. I would like to see for myself a male friendship interaction taking place. This would be a nice change from the usual yelling, cursing, and insulting that tends to occur between males in my class. Friendships are important to have in a school environment and it comforts me to know that guys can have friendships that are just as supportive as girl ones.