There is a line

A close family member said the other day, "You have no friends.  Why is that?  It must be your fault.  Have you not noticed a pattern?" 

She was right.  I have many "acquaintances", but few friends.  Maybe none.  To me a friend is someone I could call at 2 a.m., ask for $1,000 or $10,000 with no explanation, and get it.  No questions asked.  Who has many of those?  I certainly don't.

My deal is I have a line and if you cross it, that's it.  B calls it "standards" and I have to agree.  Maybe mine are too rigid for a lot of people, but not for me.  When people don't step up, they pay the price.  Here are a few "friends" who have fallen by the wayside and the reasons why:

• A colleague for 20 years who, with no legitimate reason, did not show up for a $15 community fund-raiser to help someone close to me travel to a world athletic championship -- and this is someone for whom I secured a good government job when she was flatter than piss on a plate;
• Another colleague for 29 years who did not show up for my mother-in-law's funeral, despite living in the same city and agreeing weeks before she would be there "for sure";
• A brother-like cousin and his wife (her decision, but he went along with it) who refused to let me and my son stay with them on a visit to Ottawa;
• A loved one and her partner who don't like me; by the way, I don't like people who don't like me;
• An ex-hairdresser, to whom I poured out my innermost secrets for more than 20 years, but who has dropped me; **and
• An old male friend (my age) who tried to hit on one of my daughters.

Yes, there is a line. 

** He's back on my "friends" list, just heard from him and now understand why he dropped off the    face of the earth for a while.