circle of friends

my coworker m and i have very similar interests, working styles, even food tastes (we often order the same things, without consultation, when eating out), so it stands to reason that we'd end up being pretty good friends. as such, i've been hanging out with her a lot socially, so i've spent a good amount of time with her lovely family and her circle of friends.

this circle of hers is very entertaining-- some of them are pretty high-powered scientists, philanthropists, and executives by day, but they know how let loose and have a good time. (they're fun tailgaters, too.) the amazing thing is that most of them have been friends since high school! there have been, of course, additional members added into the circle in more recent years, but the core group has been close for 20+ years.

what endurance of friendship, considering how people change... my high school self is so different from my 28-year-old self. i still keep in touch with a number of people from high school, but only two of them are still very good friends... and even those two relationships have had to change and grow as we've changed (and not without some rough spots). as we get older, the way we choose our friends changes. our friendships are no longer based just on proximity-- we now need to relate to each other in terms of interests, loyalty, personality, intellectual stimulation, and comfort. this of course make friendships deeper and more meaningful, but it also makes good friendships hard to come by. it also makes us realize that some of the friendships we thought were important are no longer as significant as they were in our formative years. we're more comfortable and confident in our own skin as we get older, so we're less apt to put up with toxic or unfulfilling relationships. sometimes, too, the ways we change just make us drift apart, as we broaden the scope of our social lives and develop burgeoning new relationships.

this makes it all the more impressive that m's little circle has stuck together so solidly for so long. they still spend a lot of time together, including trips, tailgates, and general debauchery and barbequing, and they still seem to relate to each other so well. i've been included in some of their activities, and i love seeing the way this group continues to thrive. it makes me a little sad that i haven't been nearly as successful in maintaining such a group in my own life (though i much appreciate the friendships i have maintained). i hope that they (and i) continue to have healthy, meaningful friendships that keep them well and happy.

in other news, there's a transformers movie coming out! i'm inordinately excited about this. i loved transformers when i was growing up... this is almost better than the superhero movies! it's also directed by steven spielberg, so i have high hopes for some quality. yay!

tay tracker: dnp
today's result: l (1-14)