Real friends are hard to find

I was told "you'll know who your true friends are when you are in need" when I was teenager, I can't remember by who but it stuck in my head.   I'll be the first to admit it, I'm the worst friend ever.  I don't keep in touch as often as I should, I prefer email or txt messages over a phone conversation and I'm down right thoughtless sometimes.  I don't do it on purpose or with an intention to offend or ward of anyone.  I think it's because I've become a cyber hermit of sorts.  I've lost social skills to technology, I'm not trying to excuse myself just trying to explain the why I am how I am.

Since the possibility of Jose's deportation got hurled, into our tranquil for the most part, lives I've been working to try and get him home.  I didn't announce to the world "Hey! Guess what's going on!!!", there were very few people who knew Jose had been picked up.  My own insecurities and not knowing what was going to happen or how quickly kept me quiet about it.  After Joses first court appearance Mr. Little B asked that I get together family photos and reference letters for Jose.  The photos I can get....but reference letters?  I know I can count on my family but who else would be willing to write up reference letters for Jose?  So, I started asking around, my friends, coworkers people I know that have interacted with him....I mean what's the worse that could happen right?  I even started tracking down some of Joses buddies, some he had known for years and had even come to our house on an occasion or two.  Thanks to some I was able to get in touch with people he had lost contact with and had known since before he met me, ten years ago.

I'm so grateful that I was able to find these people.  They are willing to help us out and write letters for Jose.  People I'm meeting for the first time and my own friends who have had minor interactions with him, at birthday parties and such, but are more than willing to help.  I'm touched that so many people are willing put on paper that they know him and can vouch that he's not such a bad guy.  What I did not expect was to have some of his "friends", people he probably talked to the day before he was detained, to disappear.  I guess they weren't really friends?  Then why say you'll help and then bail?  Knowing that someones life and their families life could be affected and all you need to do is say he's not a threat to society....I mean wouldn't you do it for someone you knew?  It seems like a really small thing you can do that could really help someone...no?

Like I said, I think I'm horrible friend, I don't keep in touch as often as I should and sometimes I forget to call back.  One thing is for sure, I won't leave a friend hanging like that.  I may not be able to loan money, cuz lord knows my budget is a work in progress but if someone I know needs to be vouched for,  heck yeah I'm gonna do it, no doubt about it.