Do you guys still talk to your childhood friends?

[Royale with Cheese]

Not high school friends...like neighborhood childhood friends from elementary school. 

 

Since my dad was military, I moved a lot as a kid.  Minnesota is where I spent most of my time and I don't talk to any of those guys.  It was kind of like Stand by Me...the friendship basically ended after they went on the middle school.  Mine wasn't exactly like that, my family moved to Georgia when I became a teen.  So physical distance was the reason I lost in touch.

 

A lot of my high school friends here in Atlanta, never left the area and have lived here since birth.  These guys still hangout and having been hanging out since kindergarten.  

Edited October 9, 2019 by Royale with Cheese

[WhoTom]

Just one, and that's because our families are close. (His mom and my mom were best friends, and their family had kids about the same ages as my siblings and myself.) I see him occasionally at family events, but if our families weren't close, I'd probably never hang out with him. He's a decent guy, but we grew apart in high school and don't have much in common anymore.

 

I have a few college friends that I still see on a somewhat annual basis, but that's about as far back as I go.

 

 

 

 

[row_33]

a few are still in the hometown, on the same barstool they first sat at age 15

 

i go back 2-3 times to see family and we get together for a coffee or lunch

 

[Captain Hindsight]

3 of my childhood friends were in my wedding. I still keep in touch with them, dont see them as much as I'd like 

[SinceThe70s]

 

Funny story. About 15-20 years ago I went to a baseball game and got routed to a parking lot that I had never been too. As I'm walking to the stadium I see a cop directing traffic and ask him how I can exit after the game. The guy just stares at me through dark sunglasses and I'm thinking to myself what a d!ck. Then he lifts up his shades and it's my best friend growing up. Probably hadn't seen him in 20+ years and haven't seen or spoken to him since.

[Another Fan]

Not really.  I did but communication fizzed our over time 

[teef]

i have a few from each stage of my life that i keep in touch.  the two guys from grade school and high school,  a handful of guys from college, and a handful of guys from grad school.  i see the grade/high school guys the most due to location, but we try to keep in touch.

[The Dean]

My best friend today, JD, has been my best friend since kindergarten. We are both currently 62 years old. His younger brother (who was born while JD and I were in kindergarten) was also among my best friends until he passed away when he was only 47.  I also have many friends I met in grade school, high school, college.

 

Keeping friendships for that long, especially when you all move to various parts of the country, takes work---time, effort, etc. Good friends are too valuable to not work to keep, IMO.

Edited October 9, 2019 by The Dean

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Aren’t ‘these’ ‘them’?!

[Gray Beard]

I had a childhood friend get in touch with me about 10 years ago.  I hadn’t seen the guy in about 40 years. We made small talk, which was nice, but then he started to ask questions about insider investing information relating to my work. The end. 

[row_33]

1 hour ago, Another Fan said:

Not really.  I did but communication fizzed our over time 

 

they get married and wives have a dim view of friends who don't marry and seem quite happy

 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Nope. 1 high school friend from willysville and summer landscaping job. That’s it 

[Royale with Cheese]

58 minutes ago, teef said:

i have a few from each stage of my life that i keep in touch.  the two guys from grade school and high school,  a handful of guys from college, and a handful of guys from grad school.  i see the grade/high school guys the most due to location, but we try to keep in touch.

 

What about prison?  Do you talk to any former bunk buddy inmate?

[Gugny]

If I had any left, I would probably talk to them.

 

My best friend in first grade drowned while we were swimming.  

 

Then my best friend in third grade hit his head real bad when we were riding bikes.  He died, too. 

 

My best friend in 4th grade somehow suffocated at my house when he slept over.

 

Starting in 5th grade, I had a lot of trouble making friends.

 

Wanna hang out?

[Buffalo_Gal]

Nope.

My brother, however... he's still friends with a good 10-15 guys he grew up with, some of those friendships going back to second grade! (about 45 years)

Hmmm now that I think about it, I see those guys (my brother's growing-up friends) a lot, too. Hubby is hunting buddies with two of them, and Hubby and I are friends with one of the couples in my brother's crowd and frequently go out to dinner with them, etc. I was never friends with any of these people growing up, but I have known them for 45+ years. 

[Happy]

2 minutes ago, Gugny said:

If I had any left, I would probably talk to them.

 

My best friend in first grade drowned while we were swimming.  

 

Then my best friend in third grade hit his head real bad when we were riding bikes.  He died, too. 

 

My best friend in 4th grade somehow suffocated at my house when he slept over.

 

Starting in 5th grade, I had a lot of trouble making friends.

 

Wanna hang out?

 

A lot of people have a bad habit of winding up dead around you.

 

(got that from a Dirty Harry movie)

[teef]

1 hour ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

What about prison?  Do you talk to any former bunk buddy inmate?

my wife is too antsy about the aryan brotherhood thing makes my wife antsy.  it was a different time in my life.

[DrDawkinstein]

Yes, we have a decent sized group of friends that have been together going back to 2nd grade for some of us. Picked up others in Middle and High school. We're all early 40s now.

 

It's a blessing, and a curse.

 

Great to have a "chosen family" which often has all the perks of family with less of the drawbacks.

 

The biggest issue I've found is that it makes it tough to grow and change because these people expect you to be the same ol person you always have been. And it's easy to get stuck in old (bad) habits when it's so comfortable.

[Bad Things]

Yeah, even though I'm a world away and 30 years removed, I still stay in touch with my NY friends.

 

In fact there are core friends from all of the places I've lived that I still keep in touch with.

Just last week I received an email from one of my workmates from Xerox (1989!) that wants to come down to NZ for a visit.

 

 

[Royale with Cheese]

35 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

Yes, we have a decent sized group of friends that have been together going back to 2nd grade for some of us. Picked up others in Middle and High school. We're all early 40s now.

 

It's a blessing, and a curse.

 

Great to have a "chosen family" which often has all the perks of family with less of the drawbacks.

 

The biggest issue I've found is that it makes it tough to grow and change because these people expect you to be the same ol person you always have been. And it's easy to get stuck in old (bad) habits when it's so comfortable.

 

Is that why you still huff gas?

[DrDawkinstein]

Just now, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Is that why you still huff gas?

 

Cant get out of that 4th grade habit!

[LeviF]

Yeah, my best friend Pat.  He grew up two streets down from me and we went to the same neighborhood preschool.  After college we actually landed in the same city but throughout college around Christmas or whatever we'd make a point of hanging out.  Some of the other guys that we ran with starting in elementary school landed nearby as well.

 

I've noticed that guys tend to value and hold on to long-term friendships more than the fairer sex.

[HopsGuy]

I go on a yearly golf trip that includes guys I’ve known since first grade. I’ve had friends come and go but some are solid for life.

 

And @LeviF91, one of those guys has a younger sister. She and her group of friends (about 6 or so) do an annual girls trip. I love seeing those pictures on FB from Vegas, Nashville, Boston (one girl’s cousin pitches for the Sox), Key West, NYC. Great bunch of ladies.

[Augie]

One guy I met in 4th grade. We stayed in touch thru college, and we attended each other’s weddings. Visits on rare occasions if we are in the same city. We actually text mostly about the Bills weekly. Another guy I knew was more the first guy’s friend is on those texts.

 

Last trip to WNY I tried to look up another guy from that same group. I’ve got a TON of contacts in my phone, some I have no idea who they are, but Rich got lost along the way. 

 

I do text regularly and do home & home visits with a college buddy annually. That’s fun to get back. 

[DC Tom]

 

No.  

[RochesterRob]

8 hours ago, teef said:

i have a few from each stage of my life that i keep in touch.  the two guys from grade school and high school,  a handful of guys from college, and a handful of guys from grad school.  i see the grade/high school guys the most due to location, but we try to keep in touch.

  Kind of like me.  I have a couple from grade school, a couple from high school, several from college, and several former co-workers.  Weird thing is since about twenty years ago women who would never talk to me in high school have come seeking me out.  We talk for several minutes then I excuse myself.  I am not going to jeopardize my marriage.  I have one childhood friend that went to a different school that it gets difficult for me.  Had great times but at times he could be a real Richard.  I saw him a while back and said I wished he still lived down the road from me.  Then I got to thinking about the times he really got me upset about some things.  

[ExiledInIllinois]

5 minutes ago, RochesterRob said:

  Kind of like me.  I have a couple from grade school, a couple from high school, several from college, and several former co-workers.  Weird thing is since about twenty years ago women who would never talk to me in high school have come seeking me out.  We talk for several minutes then I excuse myself.  I am not going to jeopardize my marriage.  I have one childhood friend that went to a different school that it gets difficult for me.  Had great times but at times he could be a real Richard.  I saw him a while back and said I wished he still lived down the road from me.  Then I got to thinking about the times he really got me upset about some things.  

Think of it like the deer rut.  It's the final rut for these does.  Don't fall for it! LoL... If you do, you're in for a world of hurt.

 

Need help?  Call:

 

1-800-Get- @Gugny there is always an operator on the line!

 

 

[Bad Things]

The last time I was back in the States was a little over two years ago.

 

My old crew got together for some well-needed debauchery, with some of them flying in from out of state.

It was a real eye-opener.  The ones that remained living in the region are still exactly the same and still even talk about the same stuff.  I love them all dearly, but man it was depressing.

Get out there and see what this crazy world is all about!

[mead107]

No close friends from childhood. 

 

1 or 2 times a year may run into someone from high school.  
 

[Augie]

9 minutes ago, mead107 said:

No close friends from childhood. 

 

1 or 2 times a year may run into someone from high school.  
 

 

Still in the same town?  

 

I lived in Williamsville and parts  east during high school. Went to St Joes. Had two TOTALLY different set of friends, then moved away at 17 for college. Parents left WNY after that, so I rarely got back.  Lost track of most of those people. That’s life......

[LewPort71]

Does Mrs. Lew count ?  

we were in second grade together...

[mead107]

8 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Still in the same town?  

 

I lived in Williamsville and parts  east during high school. Went to St Joes. Had two TOTALLY different set of friends, then moved away at 17 for college. Parents left WNY after that, so I rarely got back.  Lost track of most of those people. That’s life......

Spent 10, 11, 12 at Burnt Hills high school. 
2 good friends passed away several years ago. 
 

see a few in store to say high but, not go out or get together close. 

[RochesterRob]

1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Think of it like the deer rut.  It's the final rut for these does.  Don't fall for it! LoL... If you do, you're in for a world of hurt.

 

Need help?  Call:

 

1-800-Get- @Gugny there is always an operator on the line!

 

 

  I don't know that it is about that.  I always thought that it was a matter of the Seinfeld observation about having the stink of responsibility on me.  I may not be rich but I am definitely not the kind of guy who would wind up on COPS either.  What little I have heard is that a lot of them have less than successful marriages or can't get into a good relationship.  Most of them are doing well in terms of career.

[ExiledInIllinois]

2 minutes ago, RochesterRob said:

  I don't know that it is about that.  I always thought that it was a matter of the Seinfeld observation about having the stink of responsibility on me.  I may not be rich but I am definitely not the kind of guy who would wind up on COPS either.  What little I have heard is that a lot of them have less than successful marriages or can't get into a good relationship.  Most of them are doing well in terms of career.

That too...

[Nervous Guy]

9 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Think of it like the deer rut.  It's the final rut for these does.  Don't fall for it! LoL... If you do, you're in for a world of hurt.

 

Need help?  Call:

 

1-800-Get- @Gugny there is always an operator on the line!

 

 

If you got a lady and you want her gone
But you ain't got the guts
She keeps naggin' at you night and day
Enough to drive ya nuts
Pick up the phone
Leave her alone
It's time you made a stand
For a fee
I'm happy to be
Your back door man