Growing Pains III: Friends
When I first came away to university, I didn’t have terribly many friends. I was the kid the bullies picked on, so people at school avoided hanging out at me. When I moved away I had two friends who had left the year before me (LS and C), one friend from my year (S), one from my drama club (F) and one who lived round the corner (though she had recently moved to another, nearby town) (LW).
When I came to Aberdeen, I made lots of new friends, mostly from the drama society but also in my flat. At the time I thought they would be close friends for a long time. Now I realise that a lot of them were transitory friends - friends you have for a short period of your life.
I have made two friends here that I know will last a lifetime J and M. J is the best friend I have ever had and M is her husband. J and I worked together for two wonderful years. We share everything. I was bridesmaid at their wedding. Graeme and I have just introduced them to the joys of DW. It’s opened a whole new world of fun and enjoyment.
And moving away is going to be so difficult because I have to leave them behind. M has family links to Glasgow, so they will come and visit (J has insisted on that). We’ll talk on the phone and email as often as we can. But it’s not the same as meeting up once a week to drink coffee and gossip together. Or call her up and asks if she feels like a shopping trip on Sunday.
I’ve proven that I’m not the best at keeping up with friends when I move on. S and F disappeared from my life soon after I moved. I don’t know if I’d still be in touch with LW and LS if they weren’t friends and LS wasn’t close friends with my sister. In fact, I think she’s more Kate’s friend than mine these days. I’ve only recently been back in touch with C after we hadn’t emailed in a while.
I’m scared when I move back to Glasgow that I’ll be terribly lonely. Graeme still has a bunch of friends back there, though he hasn’t been in touch with them terribly often since he came up here. But he is still in touch with them. He’s been speaking to one of them a lot recently. Another just invited us to her engagement party (though neither of us could get the time off to go). And someone he worked with for a while up here is about to move down to Glasgow to be close to his girlfriend.
My first week in Aberdeen was terribly lonely until I moved into a flat with nicer people and joined the drama society. In Glasgow I won’t be meeting new flatmates and I doubt I’ll find a drama society that’s just for fun. I don’t even have a job lined up to make friends at. I’ve always enjoyed my own company, but I hate being alone all the time. I don’t want to end up alone while Graeme’s surrounded by friends.
When I came to Aberdeen, I made lots of new friends, mostly from the drama society but also in my flat. At the time I thought they would be close friends for a long time. Now I realise that a lot of them were transitory friends - friends you have for a short period of your life.
I have made two friends here that I know will last a lifetime J and M. J is the best friend I have ever had and M is her husband. J and I worked together for two wonderful years. We share everything. I was bridesmaid at their wedding. Graeme and I have just introduced them to the joys of DW. It’s opened a whole new world of fun and enjoyment.
And moving away is going to be so difficult because I have to leave them behind. M has family links to Glasgow, so they will come and visit (J has insisted on that). We’ll talk on the phone and email as often as we can. But it’s not the same as meeting up once a week to drink coffee and gossip together. Or call her up and asks if she feels like a shopping trip on Sunday.
I’ve proven that I’m not the best at keeping up with friends when I move on. S and F disappeared from my life soon after I moved. I don’t know if I’d still be in touch with LW and LS if they weren’t friends and LS wasn’t close friends with my sister. In fact, I think she’s more Kate’s friend than mine these days. I’ve only recently been back in touch with C after we hadn’t emailed in a while.
I’m scared when I move back to Glasgow that I’ll be terribly lonely. Graeme still has a bunch of friends back there, though he hasn’t been in touch with them terribly often since he came up here. But he is still in touch with them. He’s been speaking to one of them a lot recently. Another just invited us to her engagement party (though neither of us could get the time off to go). And someone he worked with for a while up here is about to move down to Glasgow to be close to his girlfriend.
My first week in Aberdeen was terribly lonely until I moved into a flat with nicer people and joined the drama society. In Glasgow I won’t be meeting new flatmates and I doubt I’ll find a drama society that’s just for fun. I don’t even have a job lined up to make friends at. I’ve always enjoyed my own company, but I hate being alone all the time. I don’t want to end up alone while Graeme’s surrounded by friends.