Developing Friendships (1950)

Go takey kid there's the schedule what be great have Jo back again y 6:00 is arriv we have 10 minutes to wait around boy this Place sure is dead this time morning all this F just to meet Joe L say whose idea was it anyway to come down here and meet Joe well Marie ought to know Bob had the idea first say Bob qu Jo on an earlier train say Bob Bob what are you doing oh I was just thinking just thinking about Joe well don't fall asleep Joe hm we've missed that guy this week all of us Joe certainly made himself a friend of this whole bunch I knew all these kids before Joe came to town but I never used to think of them as friends they sure have changed since Joe's been around or have they maybe I'm the one who's changed more than the others yes maybe I've changed why not many months ago I remember I used to go home from school alone that's the way I wanted it oh the other kids were around but I couldn't see much in them they were all right but not much to talk to or be with it seemed more fun to think my own thoughts walk the way I wanted to walk do what I wanted to do that's the way it used to be well I guess things began began to change after that first day Joe came out for basketball a few days after he moved to Town the fellas were all talking about the baskets Joe had made of course he could shoot goals but I couldn't see what there was to be excited about and I thought what a conceited guy seemed to me he thought he was pretty sharp after all they've been saying I was the best player well I could go my way I didn't need him but Joe seemed to want to be friends with everybody I guess he could sense the way I felt it sure is a good team Bob and you fellas really work together you know I wouldn't have made half those shots if you hadn't been there feeding the ball to me at the right time gee what he said made me wonder had I been too quick in judging him I figured at least I ought to give him a chance wait and see what he was like and then Joe started waiting around for me after practice to walk home at first I didn't like it why didn't he butt in on someone else but after all his family had moved in just around the corner from my house so it was natural for us to walk home together and I began to see that he wasn't putting in he wanted to be friendly we were walking the same way and playing on the team together we found things to talk about it was as simple as that before long I began to enjoy those Walks from school then one day he asked me about a physics problem that was giving him trouble and I offered to help and you know Joe didn't mind somebody being better in physics than he was we worked it out together and helping someone is one way you become friends before long we were doing all sorts of things together hiking in Burns Woods that was more fun with Joe than it had been alone hiking was a mutual interest it was something we both enjoyed doing and so Joe and I became friends good friends how did Joe make friends with me and with the rest of the bunch what were his Secrets why does everyone like Joe well he seems so at ease and friendly with people all kinds of people sincere and real too he takes people as they are he finds pleasure in the achievements of others I began to understand why Joe has friends because he is a friend he didn't have to stand out in the gang he didn't try to be a star people like Joe because well because Joe likes people I really learned that lesson when the Committees for the class picnic were appointed I'd still like to know who made up that list because when I saw it I thought that sure was a funny entertainment committee Joe Watson chairman that made sense then Anne Hillman and Bob McGraw that's me but Marie Jones who'd ever heard of her she didn't belong in our crowd what good would she be on the committee well I found out when Joe got us all together for a committee meeting I remembered who Marie was then the quiet girl who lived on the other side of town I noticed her a few times around school but I'd never taken a second look but Joe did he seemed to think she had ideas things to say and she did Marie made several good suggestions for entertainment for the picnic but that didn't change my opinion of her by the day of the picnic Joe had gotten himself a car and he asked Marie to ride with us Marie so I took a back seat but from then on Marie was part of the gang whatever we did Marie was in on it as far as Joe was concerned and the others she was our friend and that was that hey look at me I guess I must have been a little jealous or a snob anyway I didn't want to be well Marie turned out to be swell she's as much a part of the gang as any of us the girl from the other side of town the girl I thought didn't belong with our crowd why she's the kind of a person anyone would be glad to have as a friend and not only as a friend AR's all right as a date too look at Eddie now he's probably trying for a date oh well I don't need to worry yep I'm sure glad Joe showed me how to be friends with everybody come to think of it if it hadn't been for Marie Joel might not have gone on this trip it started that day when an saw the notice on the bulletin board Junior citizenship contest win a week's trip to the state capital and an interview with the governor well it seems we're going to hold an election to choose our best citizen all the other schools in the county will do the same and then the winner at each school will submit a 1,000w essay on citizenship and the best essay wins that's great Joe do you want to try I'm not so good at writing essays and things why not besides you have the best chance of being elected oh thanks Bob but I don't think so listen are we all agreed that Joe is The Logical candidate sure all right let's draft you we'll organize a Campaign Committee and Bob you work on Joe and get him to agree well Joe won the election everybody agreed he was one of the school's favorite citizens but getting that essay written was something else writing sure is hard for Old Joe and so we pitched in all of us and helped him there I was the same guy who a few months before had been jealous of Joe's popularity Well friendship sure does change people it brought out the best in me it brought brought out the best in Joe a winning essay when Joe won the county contest we all felt it was our Victory too that was okay with Joe he said he'd never have won without our help and he let me use his car while he was away we've sure missed him all of us Marie Bill Judy Eddie well maybe not Eddie glad he is here though I wasn't sure he'd come when I asked him the other day listen Eddie a bunch of us are going down to meet Joe's train when he comes in Saturday do you want to come along that conceited guy no thanks well listen I felt that way once but honest Joe's such a good guy that after you really get to know him you'll know he isn't conceited come on along Saturday Joel like you and you'll like him well okay well see you later yeah Edd's a right guy a little on the cous side he'll learn I did Eddie Marine where is everybody then come on here's the [Music] train serious this [Applause] I guess Joe's friendship turned out to be sort of infectious from Joe I learned how to be a friend and how to make friends that one friendship often leads to others and best of all to appreciate and enjoy people of many varying backgrounds and personalities yes sir with friends it's a great old world [Music]