‘Friendship, of itself a holy tie,’ wrote Dryden. All my life has been the making of friends, and I have been luckier in this than most. I’ve been my own person, doing my own thing, and often stubborn. But, for the most part, I haven’t lacked companionship. The trick, I think, is to trust people and not be suspicious of strangers—the people who become our friends are all strangers before they do. The ancient Hebrew sage Hillel has been my guide: If I am not for myself, Who will be for me? And if I am not for others, What am I? And if not now, when?
