Franz found. Friends lost.

I forgot that I don't call my Girlfriend "Girlfriend" on this site, but rather Pegg.  So back to that nomenclature...

 

Pegg and I went to see Franz Ferdinand last weekend at the Orpheum theater in Boston.  We did a little pre-partying at home before the show, and had a lot of fun that night.  The show itself was really good.  Even though they have exploded as a band, and the whole hipster scene is already "over" them, we both still like them very much.  And unlike so many acts that we've seen, they seemed to truly enjoy putting on a show.  They played almost entirely from their two released albums, with only two songs during the whole show that we didn't know.  They smiled.  A lot.  They jumped all over the stage, the risers, the drum kit.  The entire feeling was euphoric and infectious - everyone there seemed happy too.  It was a nice change from the jaded, bratty rock stars that seem to turn up more and more at shows we attend.

 

One of the songs they played had to do with losing touch with old friends.  It got me thinking about old friends, and on the way home I had a long talk with Pegg about the topic.  The number of people who have come and gone in my life is staggering.  Thinking back over the years, from neighborhood friends, pre-school through high school, summers, college, work, etc..  I have made and lost a lot of good friends.  At each stage of my life so far there have been people who I enjoyed talking to.  People I trusted.  People I laughed with.  And for some reason or another, as time has passed, and circumstances have changed, many of these friendships have faded.

 

Am I to blame?  Are these friends to blame?  Is this just what happens as you wind your way through life?  In some cases, there is a good explanation.  There was a fight.  There was a fundamental change in philosophy or position.  And geography certainly plays a part.  But there are some people I really miss.  Some friends have slipped away for no good reason.  This really got me down.  How could this be prevented?  Am I destined to lose touch with my current crop of close friends?  Does everything fade?

 

There are some old friends who have popped back into my life.  Re-connection is possible, however rare it might be.  So I got to thinking about the sociology of it all.  Wouldn't it be interesting to draft the Complete List of Lost Friends and then try to contact them all?  Try to discover what caused the friendship to fade.  Try to understand why a friendship was kindled in the first place?  This has the potential to make a great documentary or book.  Too bad I have neither the strength nor the drive.

 

And I wonder why I lose friends....