Member-only story
You Don’t Need New Friends
You need to not lose the friends you have
A few weeks ago, I messaged an old friend. After some chit chat, she said: “We should catch up some time!” Instead of agreeing with the usual “For sure!” that never leads to anything, this time, I did something different: Right then and there, I hit the call button — and we talked for 20 minutes.
We talked about our careers, about the compromises in our relationships, and about how the pandemic has affected us. We talked about our plans, the memories of our time together, and about how we can’t believe it’s been eight years since we saw each other in person.
It was a deep, fun, and invigorating conversation, and that’s why, unlike many others, I still remember it today. When I reflected on the experience later, I realized: I have hit the stage in life where I don’t need new friends — I need to make sure I don’t lose the friends I have.
High school is a great place to form lasting friendships. Why? We don’t look ahead so much. Instead, we look around. Every day, we’re fully engaged in the intricacies of our tiny, local society, mostly because we have to navigate one for the first time.
The result, however, is that we don’t worry who might be most valuable down the line. We’re too busy trying to figure people out in real-time…
