It's not on quite the same level, but I've always loved introducing friends to one another. I don't do it often -- I'm pretty selective -- but to see those friends over the course of years and decades interacting apart from me, scheduling their own outings and such, is just such an exquisite treat.
Jealousy: it probably helps that I don't actually live geographically near my closest friends. (My wife and I chose this location because it's roughly equidistant from both our families.) So I can just take vicarious pleasure in *their* \crossing paths with one another, staying overnight at one another's homes, etc.
Social media "friends" are easy to match up and follow their activities, of course. (I'll sometimes DM a couple people and say, "You two DEFINITELY need to be on each other's contact lists," or whatever. And they tend to return the favor! 🙂
In my upcoming novel, “Age of Consent,” I wrote a scene where my 16 year old protagonist takes the teacher he’s having an affair with on a hike in a nature preserve and shows her the sights. It was immensely fun to write this scene involving role reversal.
This is a good one! I feel this way to such a degree that I actually have trouble truly enjoying beautiful experiences in the natural world by myself. I have always thought of that as a personal flaw, but at least I understand better now the positive impulse it comes from.
It's not on quite the same level, but I've always loved introducing friends to one another. I don't do it often -- I'm pretty selective -- but to see those friends over the course of years and decades interacting apart from me, scheduling their own outings and such, is just such an exquisite treat.
What a good friend you are! Are you never jealous when they "schedule their own outings"? I think what you do is on a very high level indeed!
Jealousy: it probably helps that I don't actually live geographically near my closest friends. (My wife and I chose this location because it's roughly equidistant from both our families.) So I can just take vicarious pleasure in *their* \crossing paths with one another, staying overnight at one another's homes, etc.
Social media "friends" are easy to match up and follow their activities, of course. (I'll sometimes DM a couple people and say, "You two DEFINITELY need to be on each other's contact lists," or whatever. And they tend to return the favor! 🙂
In my upcoming novel, “Age of Consent,” I wrote a scene where my 16 year old protagonist takes the teacher he’s having an affair with on a hike in a nature preserve and shows her the sights. It was immensely fun to write this scene involving role reversal.
Age of Consent will be published by Heliotrope Books June 1, 2025!
This is a good one! I feel this way to such a degree that I actually have trouble truly enjoying beautiful experiences in the natural world by myself. I have always thought of that as a personal flaw, but at least I understand better now the positive impulse it comes from.
This is not a flaw! It shows your pleasure in sharing with others. Thanks for sharing with us here!