Ya gotta have friends

I read in the Washington Monthly a while back a shocking statistic.

A study shows that in 1985 the average person had 3 close friends. Today, that number is down to 2.

2 close friends? Only 2? Really? In this hyper-connected world we live in the number is SHRINKING instead of GROWING?

Counting people I consider *close* friends…I would say I have at least 10. Close. And several *best*. I am thinking about the worse time of my life…and how many people I turned to when my world was black, I felt very, very, very lucky to have so many people looking out for me and lending a shoulder to lean on.

Wow, only 2? Really? I can count Mark and my Lil Brother before I even get to friends!

“Well connected people live longer, happier lives.”
Robert Putnam- Bowling Alone

And this is why, the idea of planning a wedding scares the hell out of me… NOT that I have been thinking (a lot) about this all weekend or anything while Mark has been in Rochester. Nope. Not at all. Didn’t even look at prices of venues and menus, one has to be ENGAGED before doing that stuff, right? Or do they? WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM? Does the *engagement* gene just appear out of nowhere when in a serious relationship, therefore pushing ones future intended into a slight panic? And how can an engagement be a SURPRISE if I keep talking and thinking and looking and wondering about it? (So sayeth my love.)

Ack. I’m slowly becoming *THAT* girl…I’m secure and in love and content. Even if we DID want to get married, we couldn’t remotely afford to do so for some time. Even if we were engaged, we couldn’t remotely plan a wedding for some time. Rational Jen knows this. Irrational Jen? Checks out prices of Marcy’s Casino, just for the fun of it. We haven’t even been together for a year yet. Ok, we have known each other for a year, but we weren’t really aware that we were a serious couple until the end of December.

Girl gene, I hate you.