Warm Coats

I have more online acquaintances than in real life, a semi-testimonial to how much of an acquired taste I genuinely am. I refer to the former as FBF, Facebook Friends, and the latter as F&BF,  Flesh and Blood Friends, Yes, most of the latter are also the former but none, so far, have transitioned from Column A to Column B.

I consider myself friendly towards people, just not their friends. 

I smile and say hello when I pass folks out walking and work very hard to learn the names of our neighbors (with varying degrees of success. I was going to get everyone nametags as gifts one Christmas holiday but since I already didn't know everyone's name, that plan fell apart). Everyone very much likes my wife, as well they should; she is genuinely lovable, helpful, and kind. Me, at best, they tolerate because I came with her and the kids.

It's okay, my feelings aren't hurt. I don't drink, beer or alcohol of any kind, don't like to watch sports with other guys, or gals, on TV, at any time though I watch a lot of sports on my TV by myself, and don't know how to use tools so I am neither a borrower nor a lender. When people form an Inner Circle, I am the Periphery and/or Beyond That.

I bring all of this up as I'm trying to work out and through this article, "The Seven Kinds of Friends We're All 'Supposed' To Have." I think if I were to have any 'friends' I would want only allies of convenience, and that doesn't seem to be a category listed in the article. 

I'm more disquieted that we'd be pondering the deep questions of any topic posited by TikTok, but if I had friends, that might be a subject about which we'd disagree. 
-bill kenny