Peripheral Friends

Hollywood assistants like peripheral friends. Being young, unmarried, and living away from your family, it’s only natural that you come to rely heavily on your friends for emotional and social support. Assistants often fall into urban family situations, where you spend your free time with generally the same group of people. Think of it as your own personal Entourage, but with less scantily-clad blonde girls hanging around and certainly no pimp mansions in the Hills. These are the people you commiserate with all day over IM about the minor crises of your life. They’re the ones who host you at their apartments for Game Night or to watch the latest episode of The Office. And they’re the people who let you crash on their couch on the weekend when they know that you probably shouldn’t drive yourself home. (Okay, so maybe you spend a teensy bit too much time at their house…)

But sometimes, your urban family is busy. Or maybe you’re looking to expand your horizons a bit and bring some new blood into that group of people going with you to El Guapo on Friday night. And that’s where your peripheral friends come in. Peripheral friends are people you see socially, who you think are fun, but who you don’t know especially well. They’re entertaining and they usually put on a good show. They’re friends of friends, or friends of friends of friends. And sometimes you honestly can’t remember how you know them. There’s a level of mystery inherent in the peripheral friend. Usually you know their name, where they went to school, and where they work… but beyond that, it gets a little foggy.

Peripheral friends are the non-sexual equivalent to friends with benefits. There’s no commitment, so if you don’t see them for a few months no one gets their feelings hurt. You don’t need to call them to check up on them during the week. In fact, calling is frowned upon. Even IM’s are usually frowned upon in most peripheral friendships. However, an 11:00 pm text on a Friday night that says “Where R U? Want to come hang?” is always welcome.

Like most relationships, peripheral friendships often have a life cycle. Sometimes you’ll just stop hearing from your peripheral friend, and you’ve got to learn to be okay with that. Usually it’s not anything personal. They’ve probably just moved onto greener pastures. Or dropped their cell phone in the toilet at Three of Clubs and lost your number. Resist the urge to go all Fatal Attraction on them. Because in a town this small, word of your “crazy” reputation will spread faster than an outbreak of herpes on ROCK OF LOVE.

WHERE: Usually living at least 4 miles from you. Because if they lived in a convenient location, you’d be full-fledged friends.
COST: $4.99/month additional on your cell phone bill for text messages