How many do you have?

Friends.
What is your definition of that word? I meet people all the time who say they have hundreds or thousands of "friends" on Facebook, Twitter or some other site and I wonder, "How can they call them friends?". It is such a strange concept to me. They don't really know them, have only seen a few shallow comments on shallow subjects, yet still call them "friend, like they've known them all their lives.


I have neighbors I say Hi to and talk to when we're out in the yard, but they're not my friends. They are people I talk to almost every day and help them when they need it, but......they're not my friends.
I guess my definition of that word is quite different from most. If I call you my friend, it means something to me. It means that no matter what, I'm there, right behind you, ready to do whatever it is you need. It means I consider you to be a member of my family and I will protect you with my life. My family is the most important thing in the world to me and the fact that I let you in to that circle of people should tell you that you are very privileged. I've had 4 in my entire life and all are gone now, with no one I've met in decades worth giving that title.
My friends could walk in to my house and treat it like their own. They could hop in my truck and take off, no questions asked. I knew those people so well and trusted them enough, that I would put my children's lives in their hands and have complete faith that they would die themselves, before ever letting anything happen to my kids. They were people that, if they said they needed money, my only question was "How much you want?" Because I knew that they weren't just asking to be a bum, they needed that money and would pay me back if they had to crawl through Hell to do it. I had complete faith that those people felt the same about me and I could depend on them no matter what I asked for.
The only one I have left is my sister. For well over 30 years now, we've shared a saying.."Lawyers, guns and money". If she calls and says that, she knows I'll come running, because like the man said "the sh** has hit the fan".
And you get bonus points if you know where that comes from WITHOUT USING GOOGLE.

My friends knew I would protect them and their's and I knew they would do the same for me at. all. costs.
.
How many "friends" do you have?

I have had about 2-3 "friends" but now I have none and to make things worse I really don't have friends who ask about me much also... I have had my birthday celebrated by sitting at home and enjoying it by myself as well as New years. I feel detached and alone. But I guess this is where life has taken me and if this is the way I am to live further, so be it. I will be happy none the less.

I usually go on mountain paths and see people there with friends and partners sharing the joy with each other and I feel left out and wonder why has such a time come onto me.

But you are right 1000's of facebook friends and no real friends is what our life has become.

originally posted by: DAVID64
Friends.
What is your definition of that word? I meet people all the time who say they have hundreds or thousands of "friends" on Facebook, Twitter or some other site and I wonder, "How can they call them friends?". It is such a strange concept to me. They don't really know them, have only seen a few shallow comments on shallow subjects, yet still call them "friend, like they've known them all their lives.


I have neighbors I say Hi to and talk to when we're out in the yard, but they're not my friends. They are people I talk to almost every day and help them when they need it, but......they're not my friends.
I guess my definition of that word is quite different from most. If I call you my friend, it means something to me. It means that no matter what, I'm there, right behind you, ready to do whatever it is you need. It means I consider you to be a member of my family and I will protect you with my life. My family is the most important thing in the world to me and the fact that I let you in to that circle of people should tell you that you are very privileged. I've had 4 in my entire life and all are gone now, with no one I've met in decades worth giving that title.
My friends could walk in to my house and treat it like their own. They could hop in my truck and take off, no questions asked. I knew those people so well and trusted them enough, that I would put my children's lives in their hands and have complete faith that they would die themselves, before ever letting anything happen to my kids. They were people that, if they said they needed money, my only question was "How much you want?" Because I knew that they weren't just asking to be a bum, they needed that money and would pay me back if they had to crawl through Hell to do it. I had complete faith that those people felt the same about me and I could depend on them no matter what I asked for.
The only one I have left is my sister. For well over 30 years now, we've shared a saying.."Lawyers, guns and money". If she calls and says that, she knows I'll come running, because like the man said "the sh** has hit the fan".
And you get bonus points if you know where that comes from WITHOUT USING GOOGLE.

My friends knew I would protect them and their's and I knew they would do the same for me at. all. costs.
.
How many "friends" do you have?

Oh, darn, I thought you were talking weapons.

Well, more than you re: weapons, less than you 'friends'....I hope.

a reply to: nwtrucker

One friend- my sister.
Guns? what guns?

Answer: 1. It is that "voice" in My head. He has Me convinced that He is the only One I need to appease. When He is "quiet" ALL is well and it has taken Me hours and hours of reflection/meditation to quiet Him.

He tells Me ALL sorts of things and sometimes I'll go to sleep and I'll come to find out that whilst I slept, He went traipsing about.. He tells Me that He'll NEVER leave Me and that I can ALWAYS count on Him. He is fun.

W/a friend like Him, who needs 'friend-emies'?

namaste

A few.
But I think the concept of loyalty has been lost on most people these days. Especially on anyone under 30.
I've found that a lot of people will sell you out at the first sign of trouble.

a reply to: ItCameFromOuterSpace

#SOFRIGGINTRUESTATEMENT ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

I dont have FB or any other social media for starters; I have a bushiness colleague that just opened his FB account and he is addicted; when asked how many of his 500+ FB friends her actually knows, his response 3....

Too many times being thrown under the bus, I have pulled my inner circle into 2 peeps. The under 30 generation most especially I run from

I have found out in my more 'seasoned' years, that being by ones self is perfectly fine and I am pretty good at just doing me

I have a few childhood friends that I am very close to. There is one who I see on a regular basis. I have many friends from the internet and consider them great friends, but don't see them.

There have been friends that I have made over the years, but found them stifling. When I worked, I was exhausted when I got home and used weekends to catch up with housework and what-not. I didn't mind visits or visiting others at times, but some would want to be with you every day and if not, they'd wonder what they did wrong. Crazy! I had one friend who was so self absorbed and could talk your ear off for hours. I went out of my way for this girl because she had so much drama and so much going on, but the minute I needed her, it was like, "Oh, can I call you back?" She'd call the next day and it was all about her again. Screw that! My true friends are the ones who are here for me as much as I am there for them and would trust them with my life.

Thought this would be appropriate for the thread.

I went home with a waitress
The way I always do
How was I to know
She was with the Russians too
I have one friend left alive but I am a friend to a couple of young ones that I hope will learn the meaning of the word, someday.

OP sounds like an interesting, authentic person. I like that.

To answer your question. Two. That's it. Two.

Also, just to venture a guess. I think it might be Big Lebowski or one of his movies.

WAIT A MINUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do Dogs count? If so, add (2) to my original body count

On Facebook I have over 1k. and I don't even know who most of them are.


Real Friends that I can call on when Im in jail....maybe 5 not including my ex's, they are more than friends.

"Jail" was just an euphemism for "trouble"

a reply to: olaru12

"Jail" was just an euphemism for "trouble"

he he that made me laugh...

a reply to: JohnthePhilistine

We Have A Winner!

a reply to: HoldMyBeer

Nope.

I grew up with a large group of friends from school, and mainly stayed as mates over the years, even choosing to go to uni in the same city then either living with each other in London afterwards. It's good becacause I consider my brother my best friend, which is easy, but I have about 3 or 4 more very close friends. The kind of friends, you see a couple of times a year. I have enough. I'm happy in that regard. I don't feel I need more. Maybe a couple more female friends never hurts

Everyone defines 'friends' differently, I'm with the OP. Very few people are my real friends.
When people call acquaintances friends, I perceive that as needy or lonely, desperate to tally up a friends list, that is for the most part imsginary.

I'm not a lonely person. Used to be and used to let my limited friends list really get me down, as if I was a complete loser for not having many friends. Now I can't say as I care, I enjoy my own company. I'm not a social person and I'm probably guilty of pushing people away if they get too close. I most certainly don't want to be close friends with neighbours, or they start dropping by at all hours of the day getting on my nerves.

a reply to: DAVID64

378.

I used to have over 800 but then I deleted a ton of people. I delete whoever I don't like. Because I don't like being insincere. So yeah, I am friends with people who I have known throughout my time growing up in three states. And I also am friends with people from all over the globe. I have friends from Ireland, London, Australia, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Russia, the Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, Canada, Japan, Bulgaria, and France--and of course plenty from the U.S. I am friends with people of all shapes and sizes and beliefs and lifestyles. And I like it that way. I basically just post my drawings and maybe something funny or cool-looking. I don't have many photos of myself on Facebook besides my profile pictures because I'm not really into the whole take a picture and post it every second crowd. When my friends and I go out, we are usually having too much fun to think about taking pictures. And if we do take pictures, it's of nature or something and not of one another. But maybe that's because my friends are boys and not girls. But even then, I really don't think that it makes sense to take pictures if you're really having a lot of fun. Meaning, I suspect that all of those people posting pictures of them having 'a grand old time' are actually just faking it for the camera. When you're actually having a blast, usually you look kinda silly (or, at least, I sure do) and not like you posed for the picture. If you're posing for a picture, then it's not really a real look into your life, anyway. So I guess I don't understand why people do it. But I don't really mind, either. It's just not for me.

I like being friends with smart people and people who make me laugh and who make me think. As long as you fit that bill, you're welcome to be my friend on facebook.

In fact, lol I know from that thread I just did about beauty that people were all being kinda weird about that but heck, if anybody here on ATS wants to be facebook friends, PM me and I'll send you my information. I'm friends with a couple people on ATS at the moment--and the more the merrier.

Granted, of course I don't get hundreds of likes on anything--but I get a fair few for the small amount of friends that I have.

My real friends are like...two people. One of whom is my fiance. If I counted the girls, I have five max, but that includes three girls who I don't see often and who I like very much but don't trust at all for various reasons. I find long distance relationships to work best with my girlfriends.

The others are all just acquaintances and people who I enjoy seeing.

Oh! And I'm also friends with some artists! Some of whom have actually been in Hi-Fructose Magazine. Which I like. So, I think that that's really cool. I'm friends with an author/journalist, political activists, old teachers of mine, anonymous members, poets, a doctor, fitness instructors--a ton of people. I don't know. I like facebook for that reason--to be able to connect with people who I'd never know otherwise.

Anyway, my definition of a friend is: someone who loves you for you and asks nothing of you in return just as you ask them for nothing in return and love them for them. If you want something from someone, it isn't friendship--it's a business arrangement lol