Friendships, An Addendum

(Or is that Friendendum?)

I've been thinking about my previous post and I've come to a few realizations.

• I am a bit nostalgic for the days when my friends and I all worked crappy jobs and really lived to socialize. But in many, many ways my life is more meaningful now and I wouldn't trade that for the world.

• I do have someone I can call for absolutely no reason: my sister. No matter what time of day it is, or how recently we last spoke, she always sounds pleased to hear from me. I'm truly lucky to have her in my life.

• A few days ago, when Henry and I had nothing scheduled, I called up a friend and within forty-five minutes he came over with his two younger kids to hang out for a few hours. So there's that...

• The internet has changed the way people socialize. In the past ten or so years I've met a lot of wonderful, supportive people online through discussion forums. Two of them even sent me cards when my dad died. I consider them friends even though I've never met most of them.

• And finally -- I think that if I'm not satisfied with the level of intimacy in some of my friendships, it's pretty much my own fault. I tend to be reserved and socially awkward (or at least I feel that way some of the time -- thanks, Mom and Dad!). It can be an effort to put myself out there. But even if the woman I mentioned in my previous post isn't interested in pursuing a friendship with me, I am surrounded by friends already. It's up to me to make of those relationships what I want.