Geographic mobility has broadened and accelerated over the last century in the United States. If we have a society where far fewer individuals age in place or mature a great distance from where they were children, how does this affect the prospects for life-time friendship?
If small town populations continue their steady decline, does a particular type of acquaintance narrow to eventual distinction; namely, that of fellow residents one comes to know by sight, by name, and by brief occasional conversations over the course of decades.