USE-BY DATES ON FRIENDSHIPS
February 24th 2007 22:56
I can count my friends on one hand, and I do often count them and count on them, thankful that my true friends have stuck by me through various crises
Visiting my family in the small beach community where I spent my early teens always brings back memories. I guess it would be unusual if I didn’t reminisce walking along a certain beach, through a park where “the gang” used to hang out, or even down the main drag of town, past the pubs that were filled to the gills with underage drinkers six nights a week, (Sunday was the arvo session only, the pub’s closed at 6pm).
Sadly, some of my friends from that era are dead, more than I can count on both hands, mostly either directly from drug and alcohol abuse, or indirectly through accidents, and in one case, murder. Quite a few people I went to school with still live in the area, mostly single mothers with 3 or 4 children who are now in their late teens or early twenties. It reminds me of how my life could have been, and sometimes I wonder if I would have beenhappier, more content, if my life had taken that route. I was “supposed” to marry my first boyfriend and settle down and become a housewife and mother. I was a feisty 16 year old and had other plans, I rebelled by running away with a band to Sydney and have stayed on the move for the past 28 years, like a rolling stone, never staying very long in one place, making friends along the way who mostly, I leave behind when I move on, mostly, not always.
I currently have some friends who have remained close for over 20 years no matter the geographical or other obstacles. I simply am “close” to them, no matter where I am or how long it is since we last spent time together, we pick up where we left off as though no time at all has passed.
There are many more people who try to keep in touch with me, that I simply for various reasons no longer feel an affinity with and resist keeping in touch with and usually gradually they stop making any effort to keep in touch and I never have so the frienship just gradually dissipates into being mere acquaintainces
.
Sometimes I wonder why, have I simply outgrown that stage, do I not have the emotional capacity to maintain friendships that don’t really mean anything to me, do I not like seeing people who stir up memories from the past, am I selfish, lazy, or all of the above?
How do you know when a friendship has reached its use-by date?
Visiting my family in the small beach community where I spent my early teens always brings back memories. I guess it would be unusual if I didn’t reminisce walking along a certain beach, through a park where “the gang” used to hang out, or even down the main drag of town, past the pubs that were filled to the gills with underage drinkers six nights a week, (Sunday was the arvo session only, the pub’s closed at 6pm).
Sadly, some of my friends from that era are dead, more than I can count on both hands, mostly either directly from drug and alcohol abuse, or indirectly through accidents, and in one case, murder. Quite a few people I went to school with still live in the area, mostly single mothers with 3 or 4 children who are now in their late teens or early twenties. It reminds me of how my life could have been, and sometimes I wonder if I would have beenhappier, more content, if my life had taken that route. I was “supposed” to marry my first boyfriend and settle down and become a housewife and mother. I was a feisty 16 year old and had other plans, I rebelled by running away with a band to Sydney and have stayed on the move for the past 28 years, like a rolling stone, never staying very long in one place, making friends along the way who mostly, I leave behind when I move on, mostly, not always.
I currently have some friends who have remained close for over 20 years no matter the geographical or other obstacles. I simply am “close” to them, no matter where I am or how long it is since we last spent time together, we pick up where we left off as though no time at all has passed.
There are many more people who try to keep in touch with me, that I simply for various reasons no longer feel an affinity with and resist keeping in touch with and usually gradually they stop making any effort to keep in touch and I never have so the frienship just gradually dissipates into being mere acquaintainces
.
Sometimes I wonder why, have I simply outgrown that stage, do I not have the emotional capacity to maintain friendships that don’t really mean anything to me, do I not like seeing people who stir up memories from the past, am I selfish, lazy, or all of the above?
How do you know when a friendship has reached its use-by date?
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Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
A little obscure, I know, but I think you'll get my gist.
katyzzz
Comment by Miss Nomer
I know what you mean, exactly what you mean....
Friendship is a two way street with a roundabout!
x
Miss Nomer