I've managed to make it past my 58th birthday, and when I stop and think about that, it truly boggles my mind. In my youth, I never believed I would have lived to see 30, but as the time grew closer, I decided I wouldn't live to see 40. Of course, as I got into my late 30's, I knew I would never live to see 50. I'm pretty sure that was when I got out of that mode of thinking altogether.
In the Stephen King short story "The Body," which became the basis of the movie "Stand By Me," it is summed up at the end of the movie that we never have any friends any truer than the ones we had when we were twelve years old. While I don't necessarily agree with that statement totally, it does indeed have a large basis of fact that one certainly can't disagree with.
I believe as we get older, we are exposed more to the insincerities of the world, we see the falsehoods people tend to learn to live with, and "true" friendship mutates away from those friends we have when we are younger.
A lot of friends I had when I was younger have moved on in their own lives as I have my own, and some of those folks I haven't seen in nearly forty years. Some of my classmates from the Class of 1970 that I spend all twelve years of school with, I haven't seen since graduation night. Agreed, some of them I'm glad I haven't seen since grad night, but that's only a couple. I hope some of those folks I do get to see again before it's too late.
I had friends my age, younger than me, older than me and some that were years older than me that to me were still very good friends. Some have passed on, others are still around, but we just don't see each other any more.
The sad thing is, the friends that I had all those years ago and that I spent so much of my time with are no longer a part of my life.
How did that happen?
Why did that happen?
As often as they cross my mind, I can't help but wonder, do I ever cross theirs?
I'll probably never know.
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