Shootingstar, your "heaven forbid" made me laugh out loud. Yea, I guess if I counted former work colleagues (not all of them, just the ones I actually worked with), I might get to between 100-200. I don't even talk to the people from my last job, which was only 2 years ago. And one was what I consider to be a real friend. Yesterday I got an "SOS" call from the new principal, saying they had a "situation" and wondered if I would be interested in filling in. I feel so far away from that life, I did call back to say no, but at first I thought, "Why are they calling me?"
Yes, I really only have 5 friends. Real friends. Ones that I see, talk to, go out with, ride with (well, 2 of them). The rest, well, are acquaintances. I might go out with them occasionally and email/talk once in awhile, but they are more casual friends. There are also people I ride with once in awhile and people from my cycling group. All very nice, but no deeper friendships have developed there. I know a lot of people in the area, and constantly have people to say hi to at the grocery store, etc., but they are not friends.
I can't imagine having 500 friends. I don't know 500 people!