Does age matter in friendships ?

I believe, in most societies, there is a myth that friendships can happen between people who do not have much age difference.

However, if one digs deeper, we usually start making friends in school or universities, where we meet people who are our same age. Most people either stay connected with those friends once they move out of universities or make new friends at work or social level.

We learn at any early age that you make friends with people of the same age.

So, I guess that is the reason the age old question of age gets debated often.

Even though I had few friends in college, I shared nothing in common with my friends. The only common thing was the subject we studied, which we never talked about and a popular restaurant where we would hang about.

We had other common interest though, like music, however, my friends had their own choice of favorite singers, music composers and then we get into a debate as to who is better than the other. All that sounds very childish now.

Later in life, when people settle down and we meet people from different walks of life. Yet, most people tend to make friends of the same age group.

I wonder why age should be a question at all.

I know people who complain of loneliness and that they do not have any friends. Perhaps, they work in a different country, where they do not know many people.

Even with people who live in their home country, there are surely people around, but I guess they do not find people of their age to interact with.

Most people often neglect senior citizens, who have children, however, they have settled in another city or country for work purpose.

While I lived in London with my wife and my son, a woman in her 60’s who lived in the same apartment,  would often visit us to meet my son as she was fond of him. My wife gave her good company too as this elder woman lived with her husband, just the two of them and there were not too many people to socialize with.

I wished my mother who lived in India, while I worked abroad had someone to keep her good company. Sadly, in this busy world, not many bothered to spend few minutes with her.

I believe there is a relation called ‘humanity’ which goes beyond friendships irrespective or age, race and gender.

Friendship just for the sake of entertainment should not be our only reason for interacting with people.

Humans are meant to have social interaction and if a common interest like music or sport bonds people together, then age shouldn’t matter at all.

When you open up yourself and try to connect with people with varied interests and age, you get to know about life and how people cope with their mini battles in life.

I believe, in the end, what matters is maturity and compassion.

However, people have their own choices and must be respected.