Old timers, does parting ever get any easier?

[fuzzybabybunny]

I just came home from our last cookout with my college friends for a long time to come. Even though we all knew I have to start driving out to Phoenix tomorrow at 8AM, we tried to postpone it as much as possible. But finally it just got too late and I had to go. In the past I've had to leave my high school friends, then my college friends when I transfered schools, my international friends after a summer trip, and now this. And I dread the day when my parents will leave me. This feeling just sucks, and I thought that I already had a good amount of experience with parting, but dang, it's still not easy. Does it ever get any better? Do you ever get to the point where you just become supremely pragmatic and realistic about parting, and have none of this emotional wishy washy stuff? Have you gotten to the point where you truly live life feeling that nothing is permanent? Uggg... I won't ever regret leaving the physical place (Ohio), but leaving the people sure tugs at the heartstrings. It's funny how I just always become so complacent with this artificial sense of permanence in daily life, and then reality always seems to slap me in the face at the end.

 

[olds]

You still have the wishy washy stuff but you also have the maturity to know things change and life is not a static event. We go with the ebbs and flows.

 

[AlienCraft]

No, when you've made connections, leaving never gets any easier. Always remember to get in the photos with your friends. I have tons of pics without me in them, seems kinda meaningless now.

 

[VTBigBear]

the number of ppl that i forgot far outweighs the number of those i remember...
even tho alot of them were at one point GREAT friends.. even best friends at periods of time....

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
No, when you've made connections, leaving never gets any easier. Always remember to get in the photos with your friends. I have tons of pics without me in them, seems kinda meaningless now.

And write their names on the back of the pics. You'd be surprised that after twenty years you start to forget names.

 

[erub]

How long are you going to be in Phoenix? What are you doing there? I'm moving there this summer also

 

[MyThirdEye]

One of my best friends drowned tonight. I'm having some trouble parting.

 

[minendo]

3 months from now and you'll look back at this thread wondering what the hell you were thinking.

 

[zoiks]

Originally posted by: amjohns5
One of my best friends drowned tonight. I'm having some trouble parting.

Damn man. That absolutely sucks. My condolences.

 

[Captante]

Originally posted by: amjohns5
One of my best friends drowned tonight. I'm having some trouble parting.

 

[BoomerD]

Growing up as an Air Force brat, I learned not to make friends that I'd have a hard time leaving behind. Then, as an adult, I was always on the road, so friends came and went with every new job/town. Family was the only group of people that was difficult to say good-bye to when it was time to move on.

Fuzzy, you'll get over is soon enough, and it may not be too long before you have a hard time putting names to the faces in the pics. Take Oldsmoboat's advice...put their names on the back of the pics while you still can...or you may be showing people pics of "old what's his name."

 

[shortylickens]

Wish I could be supportive.
When I left high school I graduated in a class of about 900.
I can honestly say not one of those people were my friends. About 10 could be considered aquantances on friendly terms, 90 were neutral and the other 800 were serious assholes.

The only time I made real friends was a handful of guys on my first ship, and 1 guy I was on shore duty with in Iceland.

Thats it. No real friends at my last duty station when I was in the Navy, and no real friends at my last job.

Looking forward to college for the chance to socialize normally again.

EDIT:
Aside from an older woman on my 21st birthday, almost all my pictures are digital.

I tried putting supplemental data on them (names, locations, etc), but it seems like every time I get a new version of ACDSee, that info disappears.

 

[wwswimming]

that's a tough question for 5:15 AM still working on my first cup of coffee !

i need a simple question, like, what time will it be in one minute ?

i wish i had kept more in touch with childhood & high school friends.

i don't talk with my older brother often (seems like 99% of everything i do is
a waste of time to him), but i do admire his "keeping in touch" abilities.

it takes a really conscious effort because people are constantly being
up-rooted by their jobs.

 

[meltdown75]

friends come and go like seasons. you have a handful or a few that you will be close with forever, the rest are like a merry go-round of fun and new connections. i had this conversation Friday night with a friend while we were grilling some steak & shrimp. the wives were inside chatting and getting to know each other. it was our first time hanging out there but it certainly won't be the last. like olds said, you just go with the ebb & flow.

amjohns5: i'm very sorry to hear that