We live in a world that everything moves fast and furiously. Despite today's technology that enables all of us to stay current of what is going on 2,000 miles away or even helps friends whisper secrets in each other's ears across the continents, friendship doesn't survive without closeness, regular time spent together and help each other out, what we have in common and substance. Like anything else that grows and dies, we grow and grow apart before we die. Friendship is like that, too.
I now live in a town that is at least 500 miles from the closest person on my Facebook. A plan to see her and catch up with her two months ago didn't pan out. A majority of my FB friends focus on working as they're in their prime to make a living and good money. They also have children more or less my kids' ages. But they're not growing up and playing together. We adults live so far away from one another that helping hand is a concept, not an actual action. Even with giving money to support their cause (running, autism, authoring books, etc.), it is without physical human touch.
It all boils down to the fact that I'm a different person when I and about other 100 people became friends years ago. A daily yoga and writing now fill my day. My children take various lessons after their schools end. I'm their caretaker 24/7. They have different friends. Drinking, partying, and working don't interest me. I tend to keep to myself besides short conversations and pleasant greetings to people around me.
My life philosophy has shifted a great deal. Money, a nice car, a nice house, a good job and luxuries were constantly my life goal. Not anymore. As a result, I have no common interest with the people met thirty years ago. A couple of weeks ago I deleted my FB account. Only a handful of friends who have my e-mail address write regularly, and we exchange correspondence (versus forwarding chain letters -- which I hate). As much as I cherish the memories of good and bad times we had together, friendship has its own life cycle. My friendship with the great people ended.
One friendship, in particular, causes me to grief. He was not interested in exchanging regular correspondence and took initiative to ask me to end it. He beat me to it. This friendship suffered a heart attack.
Another close friend no longer writes after I moved away. At the same time she had a boyfriend. This friendship died of natural cause.
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