Dear reader,

Recently I spent a weekend with a few friends of mine that have ridden the trail with me through life. Having underwent many trials and tribulations together we forged a sense of familiarity, a brotherhood. There is something irreplaceable and cherished about having friends that have helped you face the steady battles of time. Shakespeare’s Polonius in “Hamlet” said “You can always make new friends but you can never make new old friends.” Old friends aren’t as rare as unicorns but they are few and precious like an 18 year bottle of Macallan’s single malt scotch.

There are those who knew you when, and who have marinated with you in the fires of evolution to your truest form. Each stands as his sovereign self without fear of judgement. Admittedly the small experiential stuff binds but they pale against the magical and adventurous chariot rides taken to discern what truly matters. The old friendships smack of freedom, blind partiality and a kind of irresponsibility that liberate us and lead us to ways of being fully human. They reinforce and color our identities, and provide context for our sense of worth.

And to think my friendships, now solid markers and testimonials of time, were born out of an innocence, a shared animation of like minded spirits who played in the fountain of youth those many years ago…

Patrick Wood

Publisher