Community Chat

[azterry!]

I am very lucky. I have a small circle of friends and I trust them completely. Everyone has their own eccentricities and the definition of friendship is that you don't require perfection from those you love.

My social life is rich because of them.

I like living alone but I cannot fathom BEING alone.

[LilacTree]

I have some long term friends from work. We get together once or twice a year and it's always fun because they update me on everything that's happening there (they are much younger than me).

I had a lifelong friend and we always had a somewhat ambivalent relationship, but we were tied together by our lifelong memories. I caught her in a huge lie a couple of years ago and she subsequently sent me an email that said she never wanted me to contact her again. I haven't. Do I miss her? Not really, because I never trusted her.

I live alone. I am quite comfortable with that. In fact, I don't think I could ever live with someone else in the house anymore, although that was my life for many, many years.

As someone else said, the older I get, the more I appreciate living alone. Am I ever lonely? Yes. I am lonely for my beloved sister who died two and a half years ago. So I get "lonely," sometimes, but to me it's not the same thing as living alone.

[Tinkrbl44]

There's a huge difference between being alone and being lonely. I don't even remember the last time I was lonely. I enjoy my solitude and have an active inner life.

As for others ..... there are close friends and casual friends. They both have their place, but be sure you're not just keeping people around you to distract you from what's going on inside. We all need to have some time alone with our thoughts.

[ilovedaisies]

I have a friend (or acquaintance?) who embellishes on an almost daily basis. It irks me because I can't help resenting the fact that she must think I'm stupid and believe everything she tells me. I've tripped her up on a few of her ""stories"" but she still goes on with it. I hold her at arm's length and never trust her with any personal information.

[HiLo]

I have always had a lot of people on my "friend" list; however, I can truthfully say that two through all these years t were friends in the true sense of the word, those I could share my utmost thoughts with and know it would go no further.

I also enjoy my alone time alot more as the years go by and am never lonely.. As for your "friend" I'd say goodbye to her as soon as possible.

[chrystaltree]

Oh, please. If you are looking for a friend who never tells a lie, never exaggerates, never holds anything back....it's a good thing you like being a loner.....because you'll never find such a person. I have a small circle of good friends, women that I have known and been close to for many years. They aren't perfect. Which is good because I'm not perfect. At one time or another, we have all had disagreements or disappointments or arguments with each other. We always manage to patch things up because that's what friends do. I wouldn't want to go through life friendless. My husband is everything to me but he cannot be a "girlfriend" to me. Sometimes, I just need a gal pal to confide in, shop with, gossip with, go on a diet with. After a while, you know which friends you can truly confide in and which friends you just socialize and have fun with.

[brewhaha]

I am that friend.

[RainCityGirl]

I was an only child, so being comfortable with just myself is okay with me. However, I am also very social and enjoy being with people as well. I like a mix of alone time, family time, and friends time. If I knew I couldn't trust someone, that person would not be my friend for long.

[SAVANAHGIRL]

My pets are a VITAL part of my life...my kids and friends. I've basically had it with so-called friends...too much jealousy and stupid gossip. I have one girlfriend who shares similar tastes in reading, pop culture, gardening, and pets. But, we're not close friends and that suits both of us since we've both been burned by so-called friends in our pasts.

[LilacTree]

On 4/16/2014 chrystaltree said:

Oh, please. If you are looking for a friend who never tells a lie, never exaggerates, never holds anything back....it's a good thing you like being a loner.....because you'll never find such a person. I have a small circle of good friends, women that I have known and been close to for many years. They aren't perfect. Which is good because I'm not perfect. At one time or another, we have all had disagreements or disappointments or arguments with each other. We always manage to patch things up because that's what friends do. I wouldn't want to go through life friendless. My husband is everything to me but he cannot be a "girlfriend" to me. Sometimes, I just need a gal pal to confide in, shop with, gossip with, go on a diet with. After a while, you know which friends you can truly confide in and which friends you just socialize and have fun with.

My friend gave up on me, I did not give up on her. Her embarrassment at being caught in the act with no alternative but to lie to my face was too much for her to bear, I guess. So she very formally ("with much regret," she said) told me never to contact her again.