Closer friendships

Greece
September 19, 2012 10:10am CST
There is a saying that 'distance makes the heart grow fonder' but I have not found this to be true in my experience. Friends I hadn't seen for a long time, just drifted out of my life. This was especially true of work friends when I changed jobs, which was sad because we had spent so many hours every day working side by side. Since internet came along this has all changed. I have even been contacted by a friend I worked with 30 years ago! Some of my friends lived too far away for a quick visit but now we can email one another and even share coffee together over Skype. So now I am enjoying my friends more, and 'meeting' with them often. Have you found this to be the case too?
2 people like this
10 responses
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Sep 12
Friends are friends with you at work until one of you leave, then there is no glue for a basis for friendship. Your world's have changed. It is very rare that you keep friends from work, or school or an association. Now friends you made on your own through other methods usually stay with your because the friendship is not based on one thing like work, or the bowling leagues, it is a friendship based on everything. Of course you will lose some of those two but in the long run they stay the longest. I have friends I have had since birth practically most have moved away but there still the chosen few that call me, or email me from where ever in the world they have moved to. These are really true friends. In this world not everyone is your true friend, just people you know and temporarily hang out with.
1 person likes this
• Greece
23 Sep 12
I like your point that is is not just one thing in common, like work, but many other things and also friends we have chosen for ourselves, rather than those we work with.
@celticeagle (168209)
• Boise, Idaho
19 Sep 12
Unless there is something that really linked us together friends have come and gone and drifted away with little thought given. Much like a relationship of husband and wife if it isn't worked on it doesn't keep going. So I think both communication and something linking people really has to be there for a freindship to continue for long. I find the internet a great way to stay in touch. I don't SKype but I do email, IM, Facebook and such. I have one friend of fourty five years that is like a sister to me and we communicate on FB nearly daily. It is all in what links us together.
• Greece
20 Sep 12
The links are what counts, I agree. Ex partners do keep in touch sometimes, and the link there of course is the children. As people get older and friends get thinner on the ground a weak link can often be strengthened by shared memories. Unfortunately there are not so many older people who are on the internet, but it is always a pleasure to find one after the years have passed. I lost touch with my closest friend for years but when our children had grown up we met again and it was as though those years had never been. She is one of those golden oldies who likes to Skype! Perhaps the most important link is Skype after all...
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (168209)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Sep 12
Yes, the link for sure.
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
24 Sep 12
The internet, and facebook, has certainly change the otherwise non-relationship I've had with some friends and co-workers. Now we see each other online. Even the ones that I've purposely wanted to drift apart, I've realize still has the same annoying trait even online. It's great to reconnect with the ones you value the friendship though.
@prashu228 (37524)
• India
19 Sep 12
hi, same here, i never found it true, after few years of gap, my friends just pass the way, as if they never know/met me before.even if they see me on the road, they never email me nor call me.
• Greece
23 Sep 12
I'm sorry that is your experience prashu. I hope you have some close friends who do appreciate you more than these people who pass you by. That is unkind of them.
• Malaysia
19 Sep 12
As I think and according to my experience the friendship is the best of the world. If there is a good friend, he or she never forgot us and because of the distance the friendship will will be growth among them. But I am not going to say that all are friends but good friend. Other thing is if the friends are in nearly, the capability of getting angry is higher because of there are little ammount of good friends are in one person
• United States
19 Sep 12
I found that to be the case also. Its great to have a connection from friends 30 years or further back. E-mails come in handy and facebook came in handy also. Its great that technology brings together the world and friends.
@marguicha (223721)
• Chile
19 Sep 12
I have found out that people with whom you work with no matter how nice are more coworkers than friends. My friend are people with whom I share other things besides work. I share good and bad times , ideas and love. Those are friends and its more difficult to lose them.
@flapiz (23152)
• United Kingdom
19 Sep 12
Hello! I think that the internet and cellphone generation had indeed helped bridge the gap between separated friends and family. In our case we have lots of family overseas and we are glad that skype and facebook keeps us connected more frequently.
@KOSTAS499 (1624)
• Greece
19 Sep 12
I think we lose work friends because even though we spent so many hours together, they are not our real friends. We are in a situation together and after it stops, we get lost. Same thing happens to men in Greece with army buddys. I have kept only one friend fromn the army. He lives 1 hour from my house, on the mountain(Pelion). He is a farmer and I buy honey from him. You are lucky that people your age use computers, it is not the same in Greece. There are people my age who are not into computers and I am only 36.
@riyauro (6421)
• India
19 Sep 12
Good for you, I like all happy stories and i am glad you have closer friends. I have very less friends to tell you. I myself stay away from them. I have bad experience with friends where they cheated me because i used to be naive. I am changed now and would not allow anyone to take advantage of me. So, I have not much friends. you are lucky to have some good close friends. treasure them. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day ahead.