Is it true that we make less friends as we grow old? May be yes, but to some extent. Perhaps, we do not make less friends, but we get less people who can be our friends. Lets see what is a friend? Somebody who shares some activities with you or supports, understands and respects you or you feel good while being with him or her.
So, why does it happen that we make more friends while playing in our local streets than working in offices? I make friends easily. Being a chatter box has its own advantages. But I made most of my memorable friendships when I started working. I had many friends while I was a kid, but none of these relationships were strong enough to stand the test of time. So, I forgot them and they forgot me. As I grew up I had less friends, but they were more committed.

Moreover, when we are small, we are less demanding. Anyone who had more time to play with me was my friend or anyone who accompanied me on my way to school or anybody who shared his comics and toys was my friend, too. No conditions. It can be anybody - good / bad /girl / boy / topper / looser / studying in my school or anywhere else. I should only feel that yes we have something in common and so we are friends. This was the only criterion, or may there was no criterion at all for making friends.

But this did not remain the same, as I grew a little older. I was in class XII, I hardly had any friend, other than my class or coaching mates. May be because I was a little more mature than many others of my age-group. This was one reason why I had better friendships with people older to me. Due to this, dada ji loved me so much.. since I was the only child in the family, who was interested in listening to his tales from Bhaagwat, Shiv Puran etc. Though I am very talkative, but I too have a lot of stamina of listening to people, if they can keep me captivated. Our generation should take a little more interest in listening to mythological tales. They are interesting and motivating... ya they are crazy too.. but still you can enjoy them. From my intermediate to graduation, I hardly met anyone of matchable frequency, except Anu. There is one more thing, when you are happy from inside, you feel like looking outside. When your soul is burdened, nothing can make you happy. Most of the people I met then were very happening and loud, contrary to my state of depression and silence. Obviously, I never felt like being with them.

But after I joined my journalism course, things changed very fast. My school friends were away for their career and I made some new friends. They were not the ones for life, but I had a good time. For a moment, I stopped becoming choosy and welcomed all. May be I wanted to compensate for the time that had just passed. The same childhood criterion was applied - "there shouldn't be any criteria for making friends". I am not in touch with most of them now.. but know where they are and what they are doing. But yes there was no addition in the list of the best friends.

Then I joined my job and again became very selective. I spoke to all, I laughed with all, had really good relationships with many of them.. there was no discrimination as such.. but they were not friends in true sense. By then, I had become very stringent for whom to be friends with. I still follow it. I am happy having less friends.. but what all I have should be really good.. I have my own standards and I believe that I have all rights to implement them in my own life. Then I met Manjari, who qualified for being a true friend... and we both know that we are going to be like this only, for all our lives.

Then came another category of friends - the online friends. Honestly, you can not be very close to somebody you have not seen.. even if the person you are talking to is honest and true to the core. Its natural. But still, a major chunk of my present friend list includes people who are known to me as a green dot. Some of them are really good. I discuss my problems with them. I even follow their advices. But they yet have to cross a big distance to get into that innermost circle. The same applies with me. But in a way, I sometimes love this kinda friendship too. There are moments in life, when you want to be unknown. Hiding you identity has its own charm. Many of these started-as-online are now really good friends to me. Thanks gtalk, skype, YM. Of course, I would have never met many people without the three angels mentioned above.

Now something exclusive to me - Friends, who originally belonged to my dad's circle, but later became my friends. This too to such a good extent that now papa asks me, how is Uncle X or Aunty Y. I always love to be with people who have lots of experience to share.

I still cant say whether we make less friends as we grow old. But indeed our demands from friendships increase a lot. Now, spending a nice evening together or exchanging smiles everyday means nothing if I have to select a friend. Character is something that matters most, something that was no where, when I was a kid. May be things like good / bad /girl / boy / topper / looser / working with me or anywhere else still do not count much.. but he or she should have something I can feel proud on. I should trust the person and he or she should be lovable enough to make me be there for them always. After all a friend is the only relation that God allows me to choose.

When you grow old, you realise that, numbers do not mean much in friendships, its the depth that matters. True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and choice. Correct!