Written By : Zig Ziglar
April 18, 2012

A busy executive was being pressured by his 7-year-old son to pay attention to him, and the father kept putting him off. In one last effort for attention, the youngster said, “Dad, who do you like best — Batman or Superman?”

The father impatiently replied: “Oh, I don’t know. I suppose Superman,” and immediately went back to work.

His son persisted, “Dad, aren’t you going to ask me who I like best?” The father answered, “Oh, all right, Son, who do you like best?”

The boy said, “I like Batman best.”

The father simply commented, “Well, that’s nice,” and went back to his work.

Then with a pleading tone in his voice, the little boy said, “Dad, aren’t you going to ask me why I like Batman best?”

“OK, Son, why do you like Batman best?”

The youngster replied, “Because Batman has a friend.”

With that, the father put aside his work, looked at his son and said, “Having a friend is really important, isn’t it, Son?” And the youngster responded, “Yes it is, Dad.”

The little story says something to all of us, doesn’t it? I’ve never yet met anyone who would not, when pressed, admit that they really treasure friendships — even those who have managed to alienate almost everyone and who loudly protest that it doesn’t matter.

The need for human companionship is present in all of us. We want someone we can call “friend,” someone who in times of emergencies is always there when we need somebody to talk to or just be around.

In my own life, outside of my immediate family, my closest friends go back over 30 years, and several of them over 50 years. That number would be larger, were it not for the fact that they are no longer alive.

To find out more about Zig Ziglar and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. Subscribe to Zig Ziglar’s free e-mail newsletter through info@zigziglar.com.

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