I’ve talked about how I don’t have any friends here in Missouri, but I do have very dear friends that I’ve known for years that live within a couple of hours from me. While my friendless state should be somewhat embarrassing to admit, somehow I have no qualms about saying I am basically friendless.
Honestly, it’s been a bit of a blessing for me for the past few months. As I have had no distractions or any pressing social engagements, for that matter, I’ve had nothing to keep me from writing. I am very happy about this fact since I finished my second book, and I’ll be starting my third one this week. :-).
I’ve accepted the fact that I’m an old soul and really don’t connect with many people on a friendship level. It seems I have hundreds of acquaintances, but very few friends. Not that this is a bad thing.
My friend situation, or shall I say friendless situation, has caused me to redefine what it is to be a friend and to have a friend. I was wondering in this age of Twitter, Facebook and other forms of social media, what even constitutes a real “friend” anymore? The line between friendship and acquittance seems to be blurred as most people now have at least a few “friends” they follow/friend that they have never met or barely know.
So how do we know who our real friends are?
For me, anyone I can call, text or otherwise reach out to when I am having a bad day, have amazing news to share or am in need of an opinion on something important is a true friend. And in the grand scheme of social media, those people boil down to about ten percent of my total Facebook friend list.
So why have all those other “friends” on Facebook?
I guess because I am human and I like knowing, or at the very least thinking, I am well-liked. Isn’t that what we’re all after? Isn’t that human connection and interaction one of the greatest things about friendship? I think it is.
Amanda Bretz 