How many real friends do you have?

[Alastair]

I was watching CNN news today and there was a segment on how many real friends a person has. They mentioned that of course many people had lots of friends on the likes of Facebook but the survey done wanted to know how many real friends the average American has.

If I remember correctly back in 1985 a similar survey showed the average America had 3 friends but in 2011 this has dropped to 2 real friends.

I used to say I had lots of friendly acquaintances :-)

Alastair

[FriedaKateM]

Re: How many real friends do you have?

Alastair, My old dad used to say that if you had as many friends as the fingers on one hand, you were fortunate. I have to admit, that because of people's deaths, I have about 2-3 real friends. I count some of our community as friends, but we are not "close" in proximity, so that's limiting!

I do have a good friend via being a pen pal with a woman in Australia. However, if you think about it as "someone who will drop everything, when you call for help", I have but one. Joan

[Glesgalass]

Re: How many real friends do you have?

I've been fortunate. I think when you emigrate and you don't have family close by, you and your girlfriends, with whom you emigrated, become like your sisters. I have probably 4 friends, at the moment, on whom I can utterly depend.
When my late husband was 3 days in the hospice before he died, 3 friends dropped everything and came and stayed with me at the hospice, all of us taking turns to sit by his bed. Another friend went to my place, looked after my then 17 year old son and brought meals to me at the hospice.
Truly wonderful friends to have. I was so grateful to them that I told them this and one of them told me that one day I would get to pay it all back by doing that for someone else.

Elda

[Ranald]

Re: How many real friends do you have?

Some years age I came aross a book in which there was an Arabian poem which I show here.

Arabian Proverb
A friend is one to whom one may pour out
All the contents of one's heart,
Chaff and grain together
Knowing that the gentlest of hands
Will take and sift it
Keep what is worth keeping,
And with a breath of kindness
Blow the rest away.

Ranald

[Maryt]

Re: How many real friends do you have?

I have found out how many real friends I have now after my husband passed away in 2009. When he was in hospital on life support, my family were all there including my children except for one who was in USA, my sister and some of her family. 2 good friends, my children's partners and 2 pastors from our church. After he passed away our mutual friends from church were supportive in the 1st 3 months but sad to say since then, no contact. I have 3 very close friends one in Scotland and 2 here in OZ. I can talk to them about anything and do often. I also have a very close friend in my sister Connie who has been a huge support to me over the years as I have been to her. Albert in Scotland is someone I can chat to about anything and it is good to have a male friend who has no expectations apart from being a friend and surrogate brother..

They are all the friends I need and I know that at the end of a phone line or on the net, I am in close contact.. I love those guys xx