Friday Fun

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Friendship Edition

1. Are you still close to your childhood friends? How have those friendships changed?

I am 1000 miles away from my childhood friends, those I've kept up with. We see each other once in awhile--which is obviously the most major change!--but when we do, we sort of fall right back into being in school again...in the GOOD ways!

2. Do you think online friendships can be as close as IRL friends? Why or why not?

Absolutely. In the best circumstances, knowing someone online PLUS in person makes the friendship quite a bit better/stronger. However, I currently have at least one good friend I've only talked to online, and have had many other extremely close online friends over the years.

3. A lot of people think that marital problems should stay private. While sometimes that might be true, I don’t think it is always so. Sometimes you just need to talk it out with a friend. What is your feeling on the subject?

I think you need to be extremely careful to whom you vent your relationship woes. There just are some people who cannot keep ANYthing under their hats. I also don't think one's spouse always needs to know that you've been talking things through with others. But yeah, there are absolutely times when you need an ear. Even my parents--who were married for 53 years, had times when they had to get out of Dodge, either physically or emotionally, for awhile.

4. Have you ever felt betrayed by a friend? Were you able to work through it or did it end the friendship?

Oh, come on, I'm 45--of course I've been betrayed. Some days it's every friend at once. ;-) I've worked through most of the situations with those people I still refer to as friends (how's that for convoluted?).

5. Do you have friends from days past that you wish were still in your life?

Yes. But a combination of distance, time, and some stupid behavior (mutual) has made some situations untenable. Thank God for Facebook, though, for some situations where you just want to keep track without a lot of time investment.