Going out with the gals

[PamNY]

Perhaps the older one gets, the more complex personal life experiences become that it's harder to articulate certain parts of core life experience/major life changes to a stranger who may not share the same experience at all. So establishing connection with other person at mid-life can take time or remains warm, but somewhat limited.

I think that is true. Making new friends at an older age is just different. There is so much to explain/understand. I think that is one reason friends with a shared special interest are appealing to me more now.

[salsabike]

I am still friendly with a bunch of the women I was friendly with in high school (and also some of the men). They are as smart and funny and interesting as they were then. They live mostly still on the East Coast, but we talk via email, FB, phone, and I go back there once or twice a year, and you bet we girls get together and have a blast.

I have some very good female friends here from work as well. Three or four of us meet once a month or so for coffee or dinner.

I have a half dozen very good friends, women, from the fiber art part of my life. We get together too.

I'm friendly with some women cyclists and triathletes. Ditto.

I like smart, strong, funny, sane women and I like to get together with them, singly or in groups. I like a bunch of similar-description guys too, although I don't get together with them as regularly.

[Crankin]

I have no friends left from my childhood, as I also moved away in HS. I did reconnect with one, when she saw my mom's obit in the paper, 15 years ago. She lives about 15 miles from me, but after getting together a few times, we have only spoken infrequently. When we reconnected, she had a 5 year old and I had teenagers. It's a shame, though.
I still am in contact with one close friend in AZ, and through her, I catch up on others. If I go back to visit, though, I fall right in with my old gang. However, I suspect if I lived there, I wouldn't see them so frequently, as they are not into sports and are pretty sedentary. Right now, I have 3 good female friends; 2 I have known for like 20 years, since I moved back here. One I can barely stand to be around... it's too long of a story to go into here, but I am easing out of seeing her. There are others I see occasionally, usually friends related to work, etc.
I guess that I am weird,in that I would rather spend my time with DH.

[Becky]

Not weird, Crankin. You sound just like me.

[Selkie]

Not weird, Crankin. You sound just like me.

Same here. I'm like both PamNY and Crankin (but unlike Crankin, I am no girlygirl --- I love that she led the boys around when she was a kid!!!). I'm an introvert, enjoy my own company, and would rather spend what free time I have w/my husband. I have a couple of female close friends at work, but we don't socialize outside of the office. Maybe when I retire, I'll expand my social horizons, but for now, I'm more than content.

I am anti-Drama. I'm not in competition with anyone but myself in that I'm trying to be a kinder, more tolerant person. I simply don't want others' drama/negativity in my life, and I haven't the patience for pettiness (probably because I've been burned by "good" friends in the past?). Regardless, I've found that social gatherings of more than two females inevitably evolves in snarkiness.

[Crankin]

Woa, Mickchick, I might have girly-girl things I like, but no one would categorize me as one...
Just setting the record straight.
How come I never meet anyone like the people on TE in real life???

[sundial]

I would enjoy meeting TE'ers on a ride. We at least have one thing in common.

[PamNY]

How come I never meet anyone like the people on TE in real life???

I have wondered the same thing.

[Selkie]

Woa, Mickchick, I might have girly-girl things I like, but no one would categorize me as one...
Just setting the record straight.
How come I never meet anyone like the people on TE in real life???

Sorry about that Crankin!!

I have to admit, I don't understand manicures, pedicures, and facials---it's hard enough for me to sit through a hair color/cut appt every six weeks. LOL!! You know, my father played a bigger role in my upbringing (mom was chronically ill, and never taught me and my sister "girl" stuff). That probably is a reason I never really got into makeup, self-pampering, etc.