New Girl

Let me first start out by saying that New Girl (Fox, Tuesdays) has become one of my favorite television shows.  If you're not watching it, I strongly encourage that you do.

Okay, moving on...

 

Last week's episode had so much material regarding the topic of friendship that I found myself glued to the TV for the entire half hour.  From male to female friendships, the show explored how time impacts friendships - such as how we may come to wonder why we're still friends with certain people.

At the end of the episode, there was a small interaction that required me to rewind the DVR about 3 times to make sure I wrote it down correctly:
Jess: "Do you think if we met today, we would still be friends?"
Cece: "I don't know, but we're friends now."

Jess and Cece have been friends since childhood, and as they get older, Jess feels as though they may be going in different directions.  Cece is a model and Jess is currently unemployed and trying to find her way.  The show does a great job at looking at friendships in the present day, yet also brings up the question: if you met your BFF today, would the friendship work?  I went to sleep that night thinking about many of my friendships and wondered if I met them today, we would "hit it off"?  For some friendships, I wasn't so sure.

Would you still be friends with those around you if you met today?  Do you wonder about some of your friendships and why/how you're still friends?

Politics and Friendship

You would have to be living under a rock not to notice the political ads every time you turn on your television or notice the bigger than life ads while you're driving.  With the November 6th election soon approaching, it's hard not to get wrapped up in the politics.




When it comes to your friendships, does the upcoming election become a source of topic or one that you avoid at all costs due to differing opinions?  How has politics affected your friendships?

Think Pink

As many of you know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Every October during my dancing days, I'd participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk and then perform at the Hatch Shell in Boston with my dance group.  It was a very meaningful day - even in my youth, I knew it was a disease that affected many people.  Each year, I felt such an honor to perform on that day; it wasn't just any performance, it was one that had a significant amount of emotion for those in the audience - emotions different than those felt during other performances.

As I grow older, I am even more aware of this disease, and it's impact on those around me. 

What does this month mean to you when it comes to breast cancer?  Have you or a friend experienced the disease in some way?  If so, how did you and your friends manage the news?

Threesomes

No, not that kind of threesome - get your mind out of the gutter!  I'm referring to a group of three best friends.  I have been in situations in which they can become too difficult to manage due to two of the three becoming close and/or hanging out without one of you present. 

Sometimes I wonder if it's possible to have two best friends, who are also best friends with each other.  The three of you can't always hang out, and so it will naturally happen that one of you cannot make a dinner or be available to take a phone call.  Is it possible to keep up a threesome?

Maybe I'm not able to be in this type of situation because I find it gets too complicated.  When you have one best friend and spend time with her, it provides time and space for the two of you to grow.  If there is another person involved, I find it can get somewhat chaotic.

I experienced this a few years ago.  I thought I was good friends with both women, and then came to find out that they had planned a get-together without me - one that involved one of the women bringing her spouse to meet the other friend.  I was upset since we had always planned things together, although now I realize that I over-reacted and that these things happen.  The two women were good friends too, and are/were allowed to spend time together.  But it still feels crummy when you feel left out and may not understand why.

Have you experienced this?  If so, how do you manage the threesome?

Location, Location, Location

As we become older, many of us "settle down" and find a place where we see ourselves living for a long time - at least that's the goal, right?!  For some, it's having a beach nearby; for others, it's having (and experiencing) four seasons.  Some go where their work takes them, while others choose the location because their family lives there.  

For me, I re-located for two reasons: one due to Arizona's warm and sunny weather, and the second due to having family close by.  I actually re-located from a place where I had a good network of friends - so it was a tough decision to make.  Remember, our family are our friends, too!  I've had to make new friends and keep in contact with old ones, so thankfully it has been a somewhat smooth transition.

Location is important when looking at our friendships.  Many of my close friends live in other places and so we maintain our friendship through text, e-mail and phone calls.  Of course, I wish I could see these friends more regularly, but it's just not possible unless someone moves (which I don't see happening in the near future). 

Which factors did you consider when deciding on where to live?  Was it family, friends and/or work?  Or did you not have a say in the matter?  Did where you friends live factor into your decision?