there is nothing in life like old friends, long-termers who have always been there aware of the entire journey one has taken, all the up and downs and round-abouts, the secrets of i can tell you anything at all, and i have a valued handful of them, greatly appreciated and much loved, with the warming comfort of familiarity, and two or three who have disappeared, though whose fault is hard to tell. new friends don’t come along as often as you get older i’ve read and been told; less chances to meet them and share time, not as many encounters as when young, situations for socialising not as frequent, but i’m going to throw that theory out, for there is something to be said for making new friends as old age creeps in as it does, and i’ve taken to it several times recently with some awesome friendship outcomes. being older you know your type and tribe, your values and attitudes are fully formed and the way of looking at what is and has been sits in a particular way, and meeting someone new to you gives a quick sense of suited or not. we can hold on to old friends for reasons that may be more related to history and time; we may no longer even share similar outlooks on life in the current world, for we have grown independently by ageing; and so, while we may have long time friends who mean much to us and who we want to keep forever, it is senseless to not embrace new friendships that in old age may come to be close and dear and in becoming so offer amazing experiences. as older new friends you both arrive with a past and an acceptance of it. two older souls meeting later in life opens a communication truth and related calm maybe not as possible while in the rush of youth.
Stephen House has won many awards and nominations as a poet, playwright, and actor. He’s had 20 plays produced with many published by Australian Plays Transform. He’s received several international literature residencies from The Australia Council for the Arts, and an Asialink India literature residency. He’s had two chapbooks published by ICOE Press Australia: ‘real and unreal’ poetry and ‘The Ajoona Guest House’ monologue. His next book drops soon. He performs his acclaimed monologues widely. Stephen’s play, ‘Johnny Chico’ has been running in Spain for 4 years and continues.
You can find more of Stephen’s work here on Ink Pantry.