| Wednesday, April 11, 2007 |
| Friends |
Long before I became permanently self-employed, I worked for a man in Baltimore who always bought two pairs of Orioles season tickets. One pair was for himself and his wife; the other, for friends they invited. The amazing thing was that they had so many friends & acquaintances, they could ask along different people to practically every game. Among their friends were reclusive author Anne Tyler (no, I don't know if she ever went to an O's game), a score of famous Washington journalists, and Bill Clinton. I often marveled at the vast array of people he knew. I was very young at the time and wondered if I would have that many friends when I was his age.
Fast-forward many years and now I know the answer: no. And that's OK. One of the advantages to growing older is that you accept certain truths about yourself, and I accept the fact that I am not gregarious by nature. Looking back on my life, I realize that I always had a strong need to spend a lot of time alone. As a college freshman, when other kids were scouting out the next party, I was roaming the university's massive underground library, looking for a remote study carrel where I could be as solitary as possible.
I am grateful for the friends I do have, and miss the ones I've lost throughout the years. The reason I've been musing about this subject lately is because of a certain person who has been in the news lately -- she is an author with a New York Times bestselling book and large & growing fan base. She was in my book group years before she started writing novels and inking six-figure book deals, and I thought she was one of the coolest, most interesting people I'd ever met. I desperately wanted to be friends with her. That particular group only met once a month so it's not like we hung out all the time. I asked her out to lunch a couple times, and dutifully read all of her favorite authors. But it was doomed to be an unrequited friendship -- it was all one-way. Even then, she was popular and charismatic; I was, well, not.
Friendship can be as elusive as love, and sometimes even harder to find. I may not have a zillion friends, the way my ex-boss and that bestselling writer do, but those I have are precious. To those of you whom I call "friend" -- you know who you are -- thanks for sticking by me. |
posted by 125records @ 11:35 AM  |
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| 2 Comments: |
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I can't say I have a lot of friends. I can hardly remember the names of most of the people I went to college with.
I do have a loving wife and a great kid. What else do I need?
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Just on a lark I was clicking here and there and came across this blog...hmm time in the basement of the library?would that happen to be D-level? Perhaps some time spent in the basement where the radio station was too? Hmm, Sue, this is Barry Caplan, ex-WJHU person, ironically yours is the second such ex WJHU blog I came across in the last week without really trying! I am also currently in the Bay Area, recently started a blog focused on the business side of digital entertainment at http://www.digimediafinance.com. (email address in the about me box there) Would love to catch up with you and yours - if nothing else you might be able to explain to my gf the large # of boxes full of old "record albums" at my place, and help her understand the knowing purring sound I made when I came across an old Don Dixon CD a couple of weeks ago!/Best, Barry Caplan
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Name: Sue
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I can't say I have a lot of friends. I can hardly remember the names of most of the people I went to college with.
I do have a loving wife and a great kid. What else do I need?