I needed a “stupid friend” the other day.

Let me clarify. A “stupid friend” is not someone who is stupid. A “stupid friend” is a friend who knows you and loves you well enough to tell you when you are doing something stupid.

Mine was a silly little thing. My best friend Leslie and I were buying souvenirs in Scotland. I wanted to get a tartan pencil and grabbed one at the cash to include with Leslie’s purchase. We asked how much it was as the sales clerk was ringing it in and the clerk said “Two pound 99”, which would be just shy of $6 in Canadian funds. For a pencil! I nodded my head and handed Leslie the money.

On the way out of the store, Leslie said that was stupid, you shouldn’t have bought that. She was right of course. Later that day, I saw a set of four pencils for 75 pence, about $1.50.

I wish I had been a better stupid friend the other day when a friend of mine who wasn’t feeling well decided to play golf in this sweltering heat. He had to leave the course when he started feeling dizzy and weak. If I had known what he was going to do, I would have told him he was stupid to play golf in this weather.

A stupid friend will always look out for you and want what’s best for you. They can be a voice of reason, the perfect foil, or a person who balances you out, the yin to your yang. They are the very best and truest of friends because they are always there when you need them, especially when you are your own worst enemy.

Everyone needs a stupid friend. Who’s yours?