I remember sitting on the steps outside of my elementary school door at recess. It was first grade and I didn’t know anyone. I looked around and saw all of the kids playing and laughing together, but I was just a shy little girl that barely spoke.

Her name was Kierstin and I remember the bright fall day so clearly. I, as always, was sitting on the stairs just minding to myself when she walked up to me at recess and said, “Hello!” with a bold, friendly smile, “Do you want to be my friend?”

After that I had a best friend, and I became fearless. I now had my first friendly connection at school and now I had the confidence to make more friends.

Time went on and Kierstin and I were the best of friends, often times inseparable. We always played at recess together, sneakily passed notes during classes, and joined in the random food fights together in the cafeteria. Life was so simple back in Elementary school, you would just walk right up to people and instantly you were the best of friends. Those were the good old days.

We moved on however, as we met more and more friends, at times we fell apart when cliques began to be more apparent the closer we got to junior high; and by 7^th grade we had completely different groups of friends. Still, we would keep in touch with passing smiles through the halls and short “Hey, how’s it going?” in between classes.

High school came, and my once best friend, was now becoming a stranger in the halls. That was something that I wouldn’t stand to bear. One morning I saw her sitting on the steps in the commons area, waiting for a friend I’m sure. I walked up to her, smiled boldly and said, “Hello! Do you want to be my friend?” After that we laughed for a minute and made a pack to stay friends. We talked for what felt like hours catching up, remembering inside jokes, and laughing so hard, everyone around probably thought we were crazy, but to be honest I don’t remember anyone else being there.

Now my best friend and I are closer than ever. I live in Salt lake and she lives almost two hours away in Logan, but with social networking we chat, talk, message, Skype, and do everything together. Social networking is important, and currently, it could be the only link that keeps old friends, best friends.

If you understood the importance that building social equity holds to personal, and business relationships, you would be able to grasp onto the concept of true friendship.