Jan. 12, 2010 — With friends

Professors at the University of Virginia studied 34 students. They took them to the base of a steep hill and fitted them with a weight back pack. Then the students were asked to estimate the steepness of the hill. Some participants stood next to friends, while others were alone.

Here’s the kicker: The students who stood with friends gave lower estimates of the steepness of the hill. And the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared.

OK, it’s all in our head, but what else is life except what’s all in our head… our attitudes, and how we think about the steep hills that are the obstacles of life?  With friends, that hill is less ominous.

Just a thought. I'm Sid Batts from First Presbyterian Church in downtown Greensboro, fpcgreensboro.org.