3 and a brother. None of them live locally. I talk to my brother and another friend once or twice a week by phone, and text daily. My other friends, once every

3 and a brother. None of them live locally. I talk to my brother and another friend once or twice a week by phone, and text daily. My other friends, once every month or two by phone, several times a week by text, and once a week or so a decent conversation on Gmail. There's something about people you grew up with, who watched your teenage affectations sputter and grow and mature into a personality, that can't be replicated. They know your shit stinks sometimes, too. They know what you're like when your cultivated exterior fails. They instinctively know when you're being "real." Hard to find in adult relationships, especially approaching 30, when most relationships start to really hone in on utilitarian aspects.