Steam And Ember

If I had to name one person who has had the biggest impact on my life, I would name my best friend, Sam. I was always an energetic and rebellious child. Even at 5 years old, I had a thorough disrespect for authority and dangerous levels of curiosity. If personality traits are quantifiable by elements, then I was fire. My best friend Sam, then, was water. Where I was inflammatory and troublesome, my cousin and best friend was calm and shy, an embodiment of everything a parent or teacher could want in a child. Somehow, though, despite our differences, Sam and I formed a friendship which would last a lifetime.

Sam is the type of person who doesn’t like to stand out. He’s the type of person who never raises his hand, never talks too loudly, never does anything to attract other people’s attention. When we were kids, He was always the sensible and responsible one. When I got it into my mind to explore some abandoned old house, Sam was always the one to remind me that in horror movies the people who went where they shouldn’t have were always the ones to die first. Whenever I wanted to jump off of the roof onto a trampoline, Sam was always the one to remind me what would happen if I missed. Conversely, I was the one who would hold Sam’s hand when it got dark outside and I was the one who would beat up the bullies. We were the exact opposite of each other, but instead of cancelling each other out, we worked together in a certain harmony only the best of friends can claim.

Since growing up, Sam and I have been through a lot of trials together. When Sam was a kid, it seemed apparent that no one would ever have to worry about him, that he would never cause anyone any trouble. However, as we’ve grown older, it has turned out that Sam has worried the adults around him far more than I have. While I caused a relatively small amount of trouble to my parents and peers, Sam became more rebellious the older he grew, culminating in his freshman year of high school, where he skipped every other class and ended up having to retake several courses. At the time, it seemed our roles had reversed themselves. Instead of Sam being the one to chastise me about my carelessness, now I was the one schooling him on his math homework. In a sense, my fire had dulled to embers and Sam’s water had burst to steam.

Since then, Sam and I have gone through several other trials and, through them, I’ve come to realize something important about our relationship. Sam and I are always at opposite ends of a spectrum, two extremities, throwing each other into stark relief. By opposing each other’s personalities, Sam and I are able to help each other to grow as people. By being so different, Sam and I balance each other out and make sure neither one of us goes too far, or gets in to too much trouble. Through our differences, we are able to learn more about that far off end of the spectrum, and about the neutral zone in between. In short, by observing and imitating each other we’ve been able to realize and resolve our own shortcomings. Sam has made a profound impact on my life. Just by being my friend, Sam has completely altered my personality for the better. By doing nothing more than standing by my side, Sam taught me about responsibility, loyalty and the true meaning of friendship.