What are friends?

You know, in this day and age of near instantaneous (and maybe not so much NEAR anymore) communication, why does it seem like I have fewer friends? I mean real friends. Ones that have your back, or actually hang out with you instead of just being some stupid avatar in an IM client or a not-so-witty signature line in a text message. Is it because that separation makes us less connected to people? Or is it because Americans are just bigger assholes now? Seriously. When a good friend like the one I just reamed in my previous post just implodes as a friend, what really is the matter? I should still be pissed about the entire situation with her, (I am) but I'm really more sad at how selfish we as a people have become. I was raised to help people, respect them and do them no harm, unless of course they did unto me first. Where'd that go? When someone I've called friend for seven long years, when she was having troubles with her marriage, I was there. When she needed someone after the marriage was over, I was there. Yet, when 'cooler' friends show up, I'm dog meat, doesn't that say something about the people in this world?

I'm a caring person. At least I try to be. I like people, in general, but most of them now could fall off the earth and I doubt I would notice. When that happens, what is next for me? What does that make me? Like them (and her)? Just another self-serving egomaniac? I really hope not. My mother would kick my ass if I became like her. (And yes, Angela, she knows the whole story and trust me, you don't want her to get hold of your sorry ass either for trying to 'hurt her boy' (her words not mine.)

Nowadays it seems I have a lot of 'contacts' but few 'friends'. I've always been selective about who I call friend, so I've always had fewer than most, but I knew I could count on and trust (okay not ALL of them obviously, listening Angela?) them more so than other people with their friends. And I liked it that way. But now, now is a different story. Maybe that's from growing up, growing older and having a lot of children taking up most of my time, but maybe it's just due to the fleeting connections we have as people now.

And just think of my kids. What 'friends' will they have? What will they call a friend? Someone who replies to a text within a certain time? One who's on all your contact lists? Sadly I feel the personal connection is rapidly losing the battle against technology and with it goes our natural means of determining who's a bullshitter and who isn't. And without that natural determination of trust, then you can't really have a friend, can you?