Friends and humans

[Oregonhunter5]

I've been very blessed to have some top shelf friends in my life.
In fact my best friend is a right wing that lives in Ashland. But I digress...

With that said, I will be 46 years old on Saturday and I'm learning more and more about people.
1st. It's really hard to find great friends these days.
2nd. Humans seem to be getting stranger by the year. Pretty untrustworthy. Fake.

Not sure if this is the normal transition for us as we get older and wiser, or is the world just that upside down these days.

Opinions from any older folks?

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[Ruger Rich]

I am an older folk. And yes, I've dramatically changed as the years have ticked off. I find myself slightly less tolerant of people and situations. I'm pissed that I easily remember things I did not so long ago that are now difficult and require some planning ahead. Spontaneity was a trademark, not so anymore. And it's mainly fueled by experience. And that's a thing that works both ways. It's kept me out of trouble I used to get into regular. And as the opening suggested, it's made me less tolerant. There is simply no reason for some of this stupidity that seems so much more prevalent now. And I do appreciate friends so much more. My family is always first. I remember my Dad saying "I just don't know what this world is coming to". I think I got a little bit of that going now.

 

[Hop Sing]

66 years old here. The traditional social dynamic is certainly broken, that's for sure. That said, I have made two new friends my age though the common bonds of guns with one guy and motorcycles for the other.

In my experience, the way to keep friends is to keep politics and religion out of the picture, especially if there are differing views.

I'll add that one thing that helps us older guys make friends is shared views of what "normalcy" is (or was in our day). E.g., honesty, respect, manners, etc.

Plus, we all universally shake our heads as to what the world is coming to and are glad we won't be around to see it. That makes for a strong bit of commonality. Seriously.

Eager to see what others have to say!

 

[Oregonhunter5]

It's hard. I'm a people person by nature. I love people! I just see so much self serving folks these days.

 

[DB is Here]

I turned 50 this year, that said I too share guns and motorcycles with some very dear friends. I've never had a lot of close friends, it takes a lot to enter that with me, acquaintances yes, I've got plenty of those.

It also seems to me that the "Older Generation" has been saying this about the "Younger Generation" for as long as I can remember. However, it does seem that we as a Nation have become very divided which is sad to see, but I also believe it's what our "Leaders" in DC have planned all along.

 

[Rickenbacher39]

I don't like people.
They smell funny.
I'm 76 and my wife is about the only human I can stand any longer.
We got rid of our tv because, well..............damn. Buncha lobotomy cases.
I have no idea what the heck is going on with the younger folks but I doubt
if a lot of drugs and shock therapy would even help.
Or I could just be cranky.
Naaahhhhhhhhh
I'm a love muffin..........

 

[GOG]

I'll be seventy in January, but age doesn't necessarily qualify one for the wisdom club.

I do my best to be a hermit. I can count my trusted friends on one hand and my best friend on one finger.

It happened as I aged. Friends and family, including my loving wife died and my circle gradually got smaller.

My tolerance for BS, lying politicians, lefty whackjobs, panhandlers and plain old idiots is pretty much zer0.

I've found my animals and a good book to be there when I need them.

Now if I could just find my glasses.

 

[pharmseller]

You can have old friends and you can have new friends.

But you can't have new old friends.

Cherish the old friends.



P

 

[edslhead]

My friends are droppin like flies. We should have taken better care of ourselves. We did have a LOT of fun though.

 

[Joe13]

43 here - almost.

same as a lot of the above.

I have found really good new friends thru shooting but that's still a very small number.

this last year it seems like I have finally stopped being able to keep up with newer music, I have always been a home body and plan ahead (my late teenage years are the exception to that and I got into a fair amount of trouble being 'spontaneous').

I think I would do better in a small town but I know I am not loving being near Portland and a lot of people that city attracts.


My take is there are multiple generations now that weren't raised right and stupid can only teach stupidity to their kids so imo it's only going to get worse. I do still meet good people but it's not the rule anymore but the exception.

 

[CountryGent]

I'm 42; so not really old and not young either.

I have been friends with, done business with, labored beside, got intimate with, and otherwise interacted with people of many races, religions, walks of like, socioeconomic backgrounds, and found the simple truth they are all just people; we all love and want to be loved, we all hurt, we strive, and want to survive. As to deep friendships, outside those with whom I am related to by blood, I've had so few they can be counted on one hand with a couple digits remaining. And there is only one human being my soul ever united with and I will be with until I go to the grave or, the sum of all fears, when I stand next to hers.

Is society changing? Of course. The history of our species is one of constant change and ever-shifting cultural mores, norms, outlooks, beliefs, and the rest. Is it good or bad? As with every other time in history, both. Do I care? Not even remotely; I view it as dispassionately and scientifically as I would any other phenomenon worthy of analysis. And I'm part of a contemporary subculture (which I am not going into detail here) that values openness, honesty, silliness, and a spirit of bold curiosity; being part of that has been delightfully free-spirited.

I have noticed a trend of good manners declining rapidly, both here and abroad. I find this lamentable if, ultimately, irrelevant like the rest. I recall a missive from the Emily Post Institute that called manners "the lubricating oil of society." Whoever the author (name escapes me) had a very good point.

At the end of the day, there is no reason to worry about any of it. Live, love, create, enjoy, smile, give joy to others, and take care of business. We all have a tiny amount of trips around the sun on this little blue marble in the dark; why not spend those precious few moments joyfully?

 

[Diamondback]

I'm 39 and I've found two simple guidelines that serve me well in life. Stipulating that there are exceptions and these are Rebuttable Presumptions rather than ironclad rules...

1. Never date anyone under 40.
2. Never trust anyone under 30, preferably 35.

 

[L84Cabo]

I've always valued quality over quantity. I'd rather have one or two REALLY good friends than a handful of mediocre ones.

Sidenote: It's not the age either. It's the mileage. YMMV.

 

[albin25]

Not exactly sure where the cut-off is finally going to end-up being, but lately I seem to be shifting from...
….. "Please God, I'd like to live forever." to, "Oh thank God ! I'm not going to live forever".

 

[SUPER X]

The modern culture likes to claim acquaintances as friends. From my observations most the people I met the last few years are fake and are not friend material . The invation of California transplants has not just ruined the PNW but it cheapened the quality of the people .

 

[Ura-Ki]

Just hit the big 50 and I have noticed im 1) a lot less tolerant of.........everything
2) im a LOT cranky, i dont suffer stupidity at all, nor do i suffer much of anything else.
3) all these years and I have finally discoverd I have a temper, and it ain't a good one ether.
4) the stuff I used to do sure hurts longer and takes longer to heal.
5) my Grand Daddy was right, all politicians are liers, cheats, and crooks, who are stealing lollypops as they are kissing babies.
6) never pass a restroom, never trust anyone your dog wouldn't like, and never EVER trust a fart!

 

[Camelfilter]

The modern culture likes to claim acquaintances as friends. From my observations most the people I met the last few years are fake and are not friend material . The invation of California transplants has not just ruined the PNW but it cheapened the quality of the people .

Yup.

Friends, like family, would know where you buried "something", and would gladly help dig it up without question.

Acquentences wouldn't know you had anything to bury...

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Dang, there are a lot of 40 somethings here. I've noticed the exact same things. I will admit to becoming less and less tolerant of people in general. I see a lot of stupidity these days. I was at the store last night and went to the self checkout and the dingbat they have there helping with 8 self checkout stations was a young punk. I see a lot of people getting lazier and lazier and it's upsetting to me. Even the damn guy in the meat deli that used to make a good pub burger was too damn lazy to put the special seasonings on the pub burger. It just isn't a "pub" burger, without the seasonings. It's just a padded out hamburger patty... I asked him where the seasonings were and his response was, I just didn't feel like putting any on this time. I said man, are they cheaper then? He said no. I said, oh ok.... He said, I can give you the seasonings if you would like. I said ok, I'll take them then. When I went to the self checkout, the pimple faced kid there didn't understand how the guy at the meat deli could just give the seasonings away. He asked where is the label? I said, IT'S FREE....just FIX the damn machine and do your job!!!! I'm sure people hate me just as much as I hate them... I see the younger generation wanting to take the easy way out, sit behind a computer all day or work inside where it's warm in the winter and cool in the summer.. When I was that young punks age, I was busting my ballz at a ship yard, just like I am now.... 3 generations of steelworkers I have to try to fill those shoes and it gets exhausting sometimes...


Working with steel is sometimes easier than working with humans... Just sayin..

 

[Diamondback]

Just hit the big 50 and I have noticed im 1) a lot less tolerant of.........everything
2) im a LOT cranky, i dont suffer stupidity at all, nor do i suffer much of anything else.
3) all these years and I have finally discoverd I have a temper, and it ain't a good one ether.
4) the stuff I used to do sure hurts longer and takes longer to heal.
5) my Grand Daddy was right, all politicians are liers, cheats, and crooks, who are stealing lollypops as they are kissing babies.
6) never pass a restroom, never trust anyone your dog wouldn't like, and never EVER trust a fart!

LOL, true on all that... though your dog probably wouldn't like me, I got that whatever-it-is that almost invariably makes Lassie turn into Cujo.

I should forward that to the girlfriend so she knows what to expect in a couple years...

 

[jbett98]

It's getting harder and harder to find intelligent people to have a discussion with.