anybody else have a lifelong friend?

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by Pitar

None. I never lived more than 2-1/2 years in any location until I was 17 when I left home to start traveling on my own (military). I did not put down roots until 12 years ago (I'm 64). The 52 years before that were all broken up into various locations across three continents.

I would not trade any of it, having become self-reliant and schooled in a stoic independence that isn't socially obligated in any manner. But, that isn't necessarily a good thing to some people, or a bad thing to others. It comes down to whether you need close friends in your life, or don't.

Wow, are you Jack Reacher?

[fazool]

My cousin and I first met when we were in early elementary school. Maybe grade 1 or 2. We got to be friends and have been best friends ever since. Almost fifty years. We went to college together, dormed together for one year and were best men at each other's wedding.


My other friend and I went to kindergarten together, through graduate school but he had some family health issues and we lost touch in recent years.

[blackie51]

My closest friend and I are the same age and have been close friends since before Kindergarten.

Today, we're 68 years old, she lives five houses away from me, and we're still very close.... except that after all this time, it feels much more like brother/sister than friends.

Tom

[C-ville Brent]

I have a cousin who is about 6 weeks older than me and we grew up a little over a mile apart so we've known each other basically all of our lives. We hung out with family a lot. We played football together but had a different circle of friends. We lived apart from each other about 15 years until I moved back to the area. We live about 1/2 mile apart now, hang out every Monday evening, and we know if we need someone - the other one will be there. You can't just ask anybody to help you dig a goat grave when its hot and humid.

[M Sarad]

I remember Bob Caspari in my 2nd grade class in 1962. Recently, he told me he remembered the day I showed up in Mrs. Frazier’s 1st grade class after Christmas break.
My mom created a Cub Scout Den when we were in 4th grade. Bob, Greg Broida, Brian Bingham, David Montgomery, and I along with a few names I can’t remember were always having fun. Meetings usually started with David getting into a fight and Brian getting tickled until he peed his pants.

Bob and I still talk a few times a year. Greg and I are still friends since 1964. I went to his Bar Mitzvah In 1966.

At Rivertunes Camp last year I met Dan Gross. He lived around the corner from Greg and across the street from a Nancy Brooks,the blonde we all had a crush on. Dan went to parochial school while we went to public school. Weknewthe same kids, but didn’t meet until last Summer.

[Barb1]

My oldest friend was born three days before me in the same hospital. Our parents became friends. We grew up in the same apartment building with my friend living in the apartment above mine. We have been friends for 70 years!
Barb

[godfreydaniel]

I’ve known my closest friend since he was born two months after me. Our fathers were best friends, and our mothers were good friends. We’re in our sixties.

[flaggerphil]

No. My Father was an aerospace engineer and we moved around far too much as a kid to make any deep friendships. Then when I was 18 I joined the Navy and not only moved every 2 or 3 years but I spent almost all of the '70s (my 20s) overseas in the Western Pacific. Most of my current friends are from racing and now that I'm semi-retired from that I rarely see them. I'm in contact with a few friends from high school and old Navy shipmates, mostly on Facebook, but no one really close.

[offkey]

Not all my life, but I met my wife when we were 15 and we have been best friends ever since. It seems like all my life, lol. What more could a guy hope for?

[rmp]

I'm still in touch with a few kids that grew up on the street I grew up on. I wouldn't say we're best buds, but good guys, and always good to catch up.

My wife and I met in 9th grade, her brothers are some of my closets confidants. They also play, probably poisoned by me,- (playing since I was like 10 and I was in some what active bands by 9th grade, my father inlaw would bring them to gigs, and I'd bring them to practice quite a lot)...

they were all into baseball and stuff, then I came a long and soon they all wanted guitars... go figure.. I love playing with these guys..

[PorkPieGuy]

If it weren't for Facebook, I wouldn't know where any of my old friends are. There's one guy I've known since elementary school who used to call every 6 months or so, but we haven't talked in many years now.

I live in a small town, so I see people I went to school with almost every week even though I graduated HS over 25 years ago. I don't hang out with any of them though. I think I'm still in the phase where my friends from way back when are just too busy with jobs and kids (be it small kids or teens getting ready to head off to college) to get together.

[FLRon]

Unfortunately, I do not.

[jseth]

Yes... I have several long-standing relationships with folks... one man has been a close friend for decades now; my father and his father built rockets together and were friends. I've known my buddy since he was 4 or so, along with his two brothers. I actually baby sat the three of them when I was 14 or so...

He's 5 years younger than I am, so we didn't really "hang out" much until he was 17 and I was 22. He is a wonderful singer/songwriter and has been "pounding the boards" for the past 45 years or so... and he's still out there, doing it! We have played together, off and on, since the mid-70's, in duos, trios, full-on bands... have written a few songs together (that have stood the test of time!).

I haven't seen or heard from him for a couple years now; he hasn't returned calls of mine. I went through some angst about that, wondering if I had "done something" that could be the cause for his lack of communication.

Finally realized that I had done nothing untoward, and that he was probably very consumed with "life" (as can happen to any of us!).

I trust him enough to know that he will call when he wants to, and that if he needed my help with anything, I'd be there for him as I was able...

Just because I haven't spoken to him for a long while does not mean that I don't love him and wish him every happiness...

[buzzardwhiskey]

I've known my best friend since Jr High, 45 years ago. And I've known my wife for 42 years.

[Slothead56]

I’m somewhat deficient in maintaining friendships. It’s a character flaw for sure. I have tons of friends now, several very close (and one I’ve lived with for 27 years or so). But as I’ve changed and evolved most of my oldest friends (high school and college) have “gone away”.
I do speak to two women I went to high school with though. My first girlfriend and I speak a couple times a year and I just spoke with the other this week after her Mother passed.

Trying to cherish the friends I’ve made over the past couple of decades as I now understand the value of friendship better.