Taking stock of my life

[Albertosaurus Rex]

From past discussions, I have the impression that I am the youngest member of this forum. As such, I was wondering if you guys have had experiences similar to mine in the past.

I've been thinking about stuff recently. Where I am with my life, where I'm going. For the record: I am 22 years old and I have been attending university for the past four years. I now have a bachelors degree in both philosophy and religious studies. In that, at least, I have been productive. However...

One often hears people say that their college years were the best time of their life. Maybe so, but when I think back, I would have to say that high school was my Golden Age. Make no mistake: I hated school. I hated homework and I couldn't care less about most of the subjects. Thing is, I had some close friends there. I can point to six people who were close friends of mine that I saw every day. I was also a member of the chruch's youth club; two of my schoolfriends also attended the same church and club. (I actually spent more time with them at church than at school, because they were in a different class.) I had a great time there.

Anyway, after six years of high school, graduation came and we each went our seperate ways. It's amazing how fast people can drop out of your life: with three of the aforementioned friends, all contact ceased after a year. The two churchfriends went to university in different towns than I, but they kept coming to the youth club for a while, until they stopped. I then realised that, although the other youths were very nice people, I didn't really have all that much in common with them. Without those two friends, I gradually became tired of the youth club and finally stopped going there. The two churchfriends I now only see very sporadically.

Then there is one friend who attends the same university as I do. We two are still in regular contact.

So that's how life goes. People weave in and out of your life, and I sure treasure the memories of all the good times we've had. Thing is, I haven't really been able to build something new. I am a member of a student club (Am I using the right word here? I think not, but I hope you get my meaning.) and I've even had a leadership position for a while. I have certainly had good times there. Likewise, there are some fellow students that I often meet at lectures and get along well with.

But I have made no new friends. I never meet up with my fellow students outside of lectures or the club. There is no one that I feel very close to. Nobody that I would really call a friend.

At first I thought I was alone in this, but I visted one of the churchfriends yesterday and he recognised much of what I said. And the friend who goes to the same university as I do also recognizes it.

So why am I putting this up on an internet forum? Because I want to know, to hear from other people. Is this something that happens to everyone? How did you cope with changes in your life?

I don't miss school, but I sure miss the easy friendships I had there.