At what point does an acquaintance become a friend?
I meet new people all the time. Shop owners, for instance. Nice people whose job it is to be likable. Are they your friends? Sometimes, but usually not. Even if they like you, it doesn't make them your friend. Even if you both like each other, that doesn't make you friends.
I like the people I work with and they like me, but are we friends? Generally not. I don't know where any of them live. The only reason I have any of their phone numbers is because I have the on-call list. We share no common interests. They don't run, ride bikes or work out. If they drink or dance, they don't do it at any of the places I go. These people travel in a completely different social circle than I...assuming they travel in a social circle at all. Judging by their conversations, most of them watch a whole lot of TV.
I attempted to answer the question at the top, and failed. Given two identical sets of circumstances with the only difference being the people involved, it will not necessarily yield two friendships.
In the end you get to choose your friends, assuming they choose you too. Personally, I try to become friends with most of the people I meet.
As far as my newest friend goes, I can't even tell you that. Today's newest friend could be someone I've only known for two weeks, or it could be someone who has been an acquaintance for five years and only recently became closer. I don't even know how to tell anymore.
This is going to be a real challenge to write about friends every day for the next 28 days. Here we are at day three and I'm already running out of material.
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