[PenultimateManStanding]

I don't socialize much but I have a friend I met 50 years ago. We were 4 years old. I call him every ten years or so. He never calls me but he is glad when I call him. I'm going to point out when we meet on Saturday and smoke a little grass for old times sakes that we met 50 years ago. That guy has lived through some hard times. A wife that died, a son that died, some pretty bad stuff. 1958, four of us kids. all the same age 4 moved into the same neighborhood. John is the only one I still can find.

[PenultimateManStanding]

John once put a gun barrel to his head, he told me, but he couldn't do it. Chicken? No, I don't think so. More likely that it would cause pain to loved ones and he couldn't do that.

[Rubin_Flagg]

I got a friend like that. It is true wealth to know someone for that long.

[kpeavey]

I lost my two best friends in the last year. Angel died last November from organ failure. Her husband Bob died in June from a broken heart. We used to yuck it up until all hours of the morning. First rate they were. Closed a lot of bars on the seashore we did. Never a dull moment and never a bad feeling, awkward moment, or something to laugh about.

Friends like that are rare.
I am fortunate to have shared their time.

Cherish your friends. Especially those you have had for decades, even if they are not that close. You may find they are closer than you think.

Growing up we had a pack of kids in the neighborhood. Me and my brother moved to NY, then FL. I'm moving on in a few months back up north. Tina is in south FL, Cathy is a nurse in Alaska, Helen was in London or Arizona last I heard, Scott is in Boston and is still a prick, Steve married Jody, probably have 10 kids by now, Morris runs the local supermarket back home, John works for a Senator, married Alan, hey...at least they're happy.

They journey we take moves us about, separates us, changes us. Keeping in touch with someone for 5 years is a feat. 50 years-thats amazing. Have a great time

[mercurygirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('kpeavey', 'T')he journey we take moves us about, separates us, changes us. Keeping in touch with someone for 5 years is a feat. 50 years-thats amazing. Have a great time.

[WildRose]

Make new friends but keep the old
One is silver and the other, gold

- an old Girl Guide ditty

My oldest, dearest friend was my best buddy in high school. We connected a few weeks back. We used to sing together all the time. She called me on my 50th and sang happy birthday to me - I can't tell you how sweet her voice sounded to me.

[PenultimateManStanding]

The last time I met up with John was around '99. He brought his two sons with him and we went to this place where we played as kids, a rugged deep creek that has remained the same for all these years. Palm trees and sumac and eucalyptus and pepper trees. We all called it "secret valley' when we were young. Crawdads in the creek, fine smells. Hills all around with granite outcrops and chaparral growing. The time before that was 15 years ago. I brought my daughter over to his mother's house and she fixed us all dinner. He was staying with her at the time because the cops ran him out of El Cajon. Well, sort of, they served a warrant on him for selling pot. He didn't have anything but figured it was time to get out of Dodge. Lucky break. Bad timing for the cops. So, John has an older brother who is quite a character. Fought in Nam. Came back and became a gigolo. Quite the stud, lived with wealthy women on their dime up in L.A. When they threw him out he worked as an armored truck guard. Now he's the one living with his mom. Hard to play the stud gigolo at 60. Life is funny.

[PenultimateManStanding]

Another interesting tidbit: three of the four of us original kids in that neighborhood had dads who were engineers for the military industrial complex. John's dad was a jet fighter designer. Anthony, who lived next door to me and who I last saw in '99, is off in Arizona working on cruise missiles. His dad worked for a military contractor. My dad was a radar specialist. The 4th kid's dad sold carpets. Other kids our own age also moved in nearby until there was quite a crew of us. Summer nights were a blast. Then there's the dark side. The girl who lived across the street from me died of anorexia. Another girl was killed in a head-on collision in Baja on her way to a scuba diving vacation. One guy died of a heroin od. Another guy was murdered. And Jim, who was a fun loving likable guy, became a religious fanatic obsessed with rock lyrics and satanic messages. I tried to keep in touch with him but the vibes were too sour. No, John is the only living link to that past whose company is interesting and lively.

[ritter]

I've had two friends since 6. I'm 35 now. We were all together two weekends ago. I am closer to them than anyone but my wife. Here's to old friends!

[Narz]

I saw my best friend from childhood about two months ago. We didn't have much in common anymore. Mainly we were friends because we were both unpopular & lived somewhat nearby. His life is pretty depressing these days. He works 80 hours a week at a couple of supermarkets & then spends his money on casinos & escorts. He doesn't drive cause he had a bad experience when he first took the road test (crashed). I probably won't see him again, at least not for a long time.

My best friend from college killed himself in '05.

My ex-girlfriend for seven years (kind of a co-best-friend) is now dating some jealous loser who pries into her life so she has to use alternative e-mail accounts to keep in touch & I haven't seen her in a year.

Quality friendships are one of the main keys to healthy aging & longevity.

Of course we're all gonna starve to death in three years of course but even so, good friends help life be good in the now.

[Grifter]

My old friends make it hard for me to make new friends.

I always judge new friends by the same standard as old friends and as such don't make enough effort with new ones.

I'm very glad I know 5 of the people I grew up with (from about 12 yrs to 21) We've always kept in touch and I see them on average about once a month. We often all get together. I'm 34 now so not going back as long as some of the oldies on here.

But yes, old friends are the best friends. I'm never more comfortable than when I'm with them.

I'm seeing two of them this Saturday

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Narz', 'I') saw my best friend from childhood about two months ago. We didn't have much in common anymore. Mainly we were friends because we were both unpopular

[Zardoz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', '.')..a friend I met 50 years ago...

[yeahbut]

A good friend of mine had his wife of 20 years walk out on him a few years back. That's a heavy blow for anyone, but Jack is in his early 70's. Jack's no ordinary guy tho, and after moping around for a year or so, he got back up and started checking out his (very dusty) little black book. He had no luck, until one day he tracked down the ph no. of an old flame(I'm talking from his early 20's!). She was in Paris when she answered her cell, but she promised him a date when she got back, and they fell head over heels for each other. They've been married almost two years now and are totally smitten. Beautiful thing to witness.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('yeahbut', 'A') good friend of mine had his wife of 20 years walk out on him a few years back. That's a heavy blow for anyone, but Jack is in his early 70's. Jack's no ordinary guy tho, and after moping around for a year or so, he got back up and started checking out his (very dusty) little black book. He had no luck, until one day he tracked down the ph no. of an old flame(I'm talking from his early 20's!). She was in Paris when she answered her cell, but she promised him a date when she got back, and they fell head over heels for each other. They've been married almost two years now and are totally smitten. Beautiful thing to witness.

[PenultimateManStanding]

I used to walk Jill home after getting off the school bus. I wanted her so bad. But I was a dweeb. I could make her laugh but couldn't get her juices flowing. So it goes.

[Narz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'W')orries, Worries Worries. They never end.

[Narz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'I') used to walk Jill home after getting off the school bus. I wanted her so bad. But I was a dweeb. I could make her laugh but couldn't get her juices flowing. So it goes.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Narz', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'I') used to walk Jill home after getting off the school bus. I wanted her so bad. But I was a dweeb. I could make her laugh but couldn't get her juices flowing. So it goes.

[Pops]

True friends are not the same as old friends I think.

A true friend is one who'd go as far as you need them to go, just as you would for them.

Everyone else is just an acquaintance.


I have few true friends.


In the vein of romance though...
Though Marty does this better, this is the only version of Marty Robins' Utah Carol I can find:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szpIC8IthYc