I've got a couple of close friends that I've known for decades that I meet at a local bar & grill on Fridays for breakfast.They are in my age group and retired like myself. Then there is a group that I've known for around 15-20 years that are the bikers and shooters that get together most Sundays for breakfast. Half of those guys are around my age and retired.

Last year when I was fighting cancer and going through hell and back, 5 of those mentioned above would help me get to my appointments (my wife no longer drives) and would show up at the hospital on a regular basis after my surgery. They were the ones that always asked what they could do to help. Those are my true friends plus my wife of 37 years this year and my stepson. All the others are still friends but just in a different tier and I hold nothing against them. People handle adversity differently and I except that.

Jim

Acquaintances, I have many.

Friends? One. Two if you count his wife.

Two, and one of them is a first cousin.

Friends?

Exactly 5.
And one will be gone soon.
I don't count Raingirl, she is my soul and my purpose.

I have one from high school.
I consider friends people you can confide in and know it will stay confidential.

That's a mighty small group. And one of them is on this forum.

Now virtually, you are all family, but there is an air of anonymity to this here forum.
Like if you saw me on another website, you wouldn't know it was me.

Ya know?

2. Brothers I've known since grade school. Both now have families, so I don't see them as often as I used to. Know their kids, went to their weddings. Their wives still allow me in their houses (very generous of them if u knew me).

i got 2-3 very close friends and about that good friends and that's about it.

quote:

Originally posted by rainman64:

I have one from high school.
I consider friends people you can confide in and know it will stay confidential.

That right there is the best one-line description of a friend that I've seen. It's also why I'm down to one. Been stabbed in the back too many times.

When I was in Chicago, my pastor's son's best friend gave him one of his kidneys to save his life. Wow I was amazed.. that's the kind of friend that I wouldn't never break with.

So for that kind of friend - I got none, except my ex-wife who I am still close with.

I have about half as many as I had before November 2016.
Have to be very careful these days; don't want to lose long-time friends for political reasons, because those old memories together can't be replaced--when our kids were little, when we were going to Med school.
I have renewed a friendship with an old Peace Corps buddy from West Africa, now that he has become a conservative or libertarian mostly. Unfortunately his wife hasn't made the jump.
Then there is my best friend from 50 years ago when we studied together in Berlin, and traveled for two months through SE and E Europe. His wife is not a nice person, and when after 9/11/01 she sent me something by Michael Moore and I objected, she cut me off. Friend doesn't do his own e-mail, the idiot, so I spoke to him two weeks or so ago for the first time since 9/11. He doesn't want me to come visit him in South Africa because it would cause domestic warfare. Sigh.

I have a bucnh of friends that I have lost touch with that I would call "inactive" friends.

Active friends are much fewer in number. My wife being number 1. I have one from high school. His spouse and another couple make 3 good adult friends. I have maybe 2 coworkers that come close to the definition.

My circle is pretty small but I would not trade quality for quantity.

quote:

Originally posted by BurtonRW:

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
I had a circle of friends of about 3 or 4 in college. Haven't been in touch with them for years.

Jesus Christ is my friend everywhere. My wife, of course, is my only friend on earth.

And, of course, a bunch on SF here I would consider friends.

Pretty much this for me as well.

I can think of maybe one person who I would truly call a friend. Otherwise, I'd sooner (and more easily) rely on you all in time of need.

-Rob

I think that about covers it for me, as well.

One fishing buddy who I met about 6 months ago and we go out 4-5 times a week, bank fishing, no boat. He's a Dem and we don't discuss politics.

Otherwise, no actual friends. Still in semi-contact with 2-3 buddies from my youth 40 years ago.

Only have 2 that I can really call friend. One is my son's godfather, second one is my high school batch mate's husband. The rest are just acquaintances.

A handful, not many.

I have 3 friends from highschool I keep in regular contact, none would I ever count on in a time of need. Any of these we can go a year or three with out seeing each and it's like old times.

I have one that I could call anytime for anything and same for him. I've had to buy his wife's heart medicine when they fell on hard times, he's helped me with the worsts of tasks. If I called him and told him I needed help in Alaska, he'd pick up the phone and start pricing out tickets.

I have a few fraternity brothers from college that we talk every few years. I don't do facebook or email correspondence even though I have both.

So I guess the answer is one true friend, 4-5 that are a half step or one step from that, and the rest are acquaintances.

I have two or three where I live that I would call class three friends, I don't mean any disrespect but we just haven't had that many shared experiences.
I have three or four from college that I would call class two friends. We can start up a conversation from two years ago like it was yesterday. We meet at least once a year and pretty soon all the old nicknames are being used, special bunch of people.

I thought I had some class one friends contained in the above group. Class one being the "bury the body" type of friends. Turns out that's not the case, I'm glad I found out before it really mattered.

Jim

Just you guys...

A handful fall into the acquaintance category. Four are quite close, with two being very close and one seeing me through a major "calamity". My family is all quite close, last but not least is my wifey.

I have several business acquaintances but only 2 friends. Less presents to buy during holidays.

Depends on the definition of friend...

"Hide a body" friend? 4.

"Call them for good advice?" 20.

"Call for a beer?" Maybe 50.

Facebook? 0.

quote:

Originally posted by signewt:
At 70++ I got more dead friends and family than live ones

Amen to that as the same situation here. I count two as friends and not acquaintances these days.

I can remember at least 30 years ago when I was unfortunately able to say that I was the only one alive from the "old gang" I grew up with thanks to Viet Nam and car accidents among other things.