Friends?

I'd like to say that I had zillions of friends who call me, invite me over and that I return the invite, but I don't. I have had friends and I do have a couple 'work' friends, but not really anybody I'd call at the last minute and say..."Hey, let's catch a movie." Our 'outside of work lives' are different and we lives at least 25 miles apart. And my neighborhood...Maxine, my elderly neighbor, who could have been anybodies grandmother, moved last year. I never invited her over. She was busy, with family most of the time. I did talk to her all the time, when we were both outside doing yard work. She always asked about Chris. I only know one other neighbor by name. She is married, has two kids who are in their 20's and her oldest son is Chris's age... and well, he and Chris never got along. He, the neighbor kid was just too busy for Chris and too aggressive. She says HI and I respond, but she works also and our schedules aren't the same. I don't think we'd make good friends. Something about her just bugs me. I don't know the others around here. I wave when the drive down the culdesac to their homes, and say hello when they walk their dog, or take the kids in the strollers, but other than that.... nuttin.

When I first read Nina's thoughts on the lack of friends, I felt a pang, because it felt like she had read my mind. And then Maryb writes pretty much in the same vein.

I wouldn't know these women if they walked past me on the street and we are ages apart. They could be my little sisters. I only have one... sister.

Where did all our growing up friends go? Did you live in the same place for many years and go to the same schools forever with the same friends? The best friend from grade school, was she in your graduating class? And college? That's a whole other can of worms.

I ran across an old address book that I had in college. That was before email ya know. Some I wrote in, some the friends wrote in.

Valli - I know where Valli is now and I saw her a year ago. She sends Christmas cards and will be back up this way in August. We just email. She lives in California. She and I became fast friends when we met in Hawaii at college. She was from Maryland and I from Oregon.

Carol C. - I knew when I lived in Pittsburgh. I lost track of her when I went to college. She was a couple years younger than me and we never really hung out. Mostly just church friends.

Maryanne C. - ended up marrying a friend of my brothers and now lives in Idaho Falls, but they didn't come to the class reunion!!! They would have had to drive about 5 miles.Grrr. I would have loved to see them. I only knew Maryanne from church functions, and we didn't go to the same school, but she was so sweet. But her husband. Heck, his backyard was kitty-corner to our backyard. When he got his drivers license and had a car, we'd pay him $5 a week to take us to school.

Brenda S. - was a college roommate my second year at college. She lives in Utah...I think. She use to send Christmas cards. Haven't heard from her in a couple years.

Val C. - she and I were good friends in High School and I did see her at the class reunion a couple years ago and she emails from time to time. She lives in Idaho Falls still. And if we lived in the same city, we would be be-boppin' around together.

Denise D. - lives in Idaho Falls but she and I had a falling out our senior year. We had been BFF since grade school, execpt we didn't go to the same grade school. Just high school. Our parents were and still are friends. I only hear what is going on in her life from my mom via her mom.

Donna E. - ? I don't remember her. Maybe she lived in the same dorm. I don't recall.

Carolyn F. - was a roommate, but I don't have a clue what happened to her after college.

Karen H. - was my roommate my first year at college. She and I got along well. I was in her wedding line. She did move to Portland eventually, but I've lost track of her. She lived on the east side of town.

Lynnette M. - was also a first year roommate. She was a riot. She, Karen and I were inseparable that first year.

RaLyn - She and I became friends quickly and still are friends. We met at church. We both had lots of kids. She just lives in Utah. She doesn't email very often and is on my list. Ya, RaLyn, you're on my LIST!

RaLyn and I use to take our kids everywhere. Even without husbands. We'd go camping, hiking, shopping...etc. We had a blast! If we wanted to go somewhere, and I needed to get a couple things done around the house, dishes, laundry, cleaning toliets, she would come over and help me. She had 4 kids and I have 5, so you can imagine the commotion that happened around here. Then she moved. Grrr.

I know there are a lot of situations in our lives that make friends hard to come by. Moving. Marriage. Divorce. Kids. Growing up. Moving is a big one in my life. They all move away from me.....hummmmmm. Na.

I don't need a friend to go camping with anymore, or come over and clean my toliets. I just want to go SHOPPING! Wanna go shopping with me? Puuuulzzzzeeeeee.

I think MaryB's suggestion about Manpower for friends hits the mark. Wonder if we could start a trend.

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