now my soul is young, in a moment it will be aging...

"Friends go in and out of your life like busboys in a restaurant." That's a quote from the final scenes of Rob Reiner's Stand By Me, wherein the adult Gordie reflects back (in a voice-over) on the ultimate end of the group's friendship.

Two things about that quote sadden me: (1) the fact that it's true, and (2) the fact that it's true not only for one's friendships as a child, but also as an adult. It's so difficult to maintain meaningful relationships with people over time. Especially in this oh-so modern world of fast-living and urbanization. Just think of your circle of friends 4 years ago, as compared to those that surround you now.

I used to live in a town where one's absence meant a complete breakdown of normalcy. If your neighbor moved away, your everyday existence had to accommodate that, and deal with that by altering your wants, needs, and desires. Life was built around people and relationships, not around successes and advancement. Back then, people mattered.

Of course, that was ultra-rural Texas, where the town's population could not have possibly exceeded 50 heads, including my own. Time stood still there. There was no rush; there was only life. I think back to those times with fondness, and cherish that lifestyle in my heart of hearts.

Who in this age is even capable of friendship? Polite indifference is the new standard. Alas.

Modern man has become wholly autonomous, independent, and self-reliant (our most prized virtues!). But in the process, he has also become wholly uninteresting.