SOCIALIZING

A husband is bringing in the groceries.

Sam: You’ll never guess who I bumped into at Loblaw’s today!
Grace: Who?
Sam: Jerry. You remember Jerry… my old fishing buddy?
Grace: Oh, we haven’t seen him in ages!
Sam: Yeah. But you know, he hasn’t aged a day. He still looks exactly the same.
Grace: So, how is he? Is he still married to that… what was her name? isn’t that crazy we used to be bosom pals and now I can’t even remember her name.
Sam: You mean Deborah?
Grace: Right, Deborah. It was on the tip of my tongue. Are they still together?
Sam: Nope. Divorced. He has really let himself go, too. He looked like hell.
Grace: Aw, that’s a shame. They made a nice couple. Well, he must have a lot of time on his hands now. We should invite him for dinner.
Sam: No way! Are you crazy?
Grace: Well, I just thought…
Sam: Don’t you remember the last time we invited Jerry over? He drank like a fish, hit on every woman in the room, and made a complete ass of himself. I was mortified.
Grace: Oh, that’s right. Your parents were there, too. Well, why don’t we let bygones be bygones and invite him for a dinner on Friday?
Sam: Hmm…alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Comprehension:
1. Briefly explain in your own words what Sam and Grace are talking about.
2. What is Sam’s opinion of Jerry?
3. What does Grace mean by ‘let bygones be bygones’?
4. Do you have any friends that your family or spouse do not approved of? How do you keep the peace?
5. Are there any friends you’ve lost touch with? Why do you think you haven’t been able to keep in touch?
6. Do you think that it’s easy or difficult for married people to be friends with single or divorced people? Why?

Reading

Throughout our lives, our idea of what makes someone a good friend might change, but the general principles remain the same.

In kindergarten, good friends might have let us have the red crayon, instead of the yucky black one. They were the one who seemed able to play with us for extended periods without it turning into all out war. They were the ones who shared their precious snacks with you at lunchtime.
In childhood, good friends were the people who were always there to sit with at lunchtime or the people who always wanted to walk home with you after school. They were the people who laughed at your antics, when everyone else thought you were being idiotic.

In adolescence, good friends let you copy their homework, risked punishment to pass you notes in class, always managed to get the seat next to you, and never revealed who you secretly had a crush on.

As a teenager, your good friends were probably your partners in naughtiness, helped you laugh through the rough world of growing up, stood by and cheered on your successes, and picked you up and dusted you off after the sting of disappointments or betrayal.

As adults, good friends are those who are dependable, always ready with a listening ear, words of encouragement, or advice. Good friends remember your birthday. Good friends are the people you want to call when something has got you down, or when things suddenly seem to be falling apart. Good friends don’t let you take yourself too seriously. They let you be yourself, but also help you grow to become a better person.

DISCUSSION:

1. Which of your friends have you known the longest? How did the two of you meet? How often do you see each other these days?
2. Do you think that men and women can be friends? How about after marriage?
3. Describe a perfect evening spent with friends.
4. Are there any long lost friends you’d like to get back in touch with?
5. Do you usually hang out with the same group of close friends or with many different people?
6. Do you usually socialize with people from work or church?
7. In Western countries, it is common to invite groups of people to one’s house for a dinner party, potluck party, pool party, or barbeque. Why do you think these sorts of social gatherings are uncommon in Korea?
8. How does alcohol influence the way people socialize?
9. What kinds of people do you get along with really well? Are there any sorts of people you don’t normally get along with?
10. If you had a serious problem, who would you be more likely to talk to about it first, a family member or a close friend? Why?
11. What makes a friendship last a long time?
12. Do you think it is possible to overcome shyness? How?
13. What makes someone a great conversationalist?

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