Raliced - Quattro

[Ahoy]

raliced -- I'm just going to say this: deep, meaningful friendships that last over time are worth much more than light, social engagements with people with whom you have no deeper emotional exchanges. I have lots of friends, but I prefer to see them one-on-one, not in groups, because I like to have meaningful exchanges with them, and that doesn't always happen in group settings. (Although I do enjoy attending and hosting gatherings on rare occasions.) Because of this, I can say that I have the most wonderful and deep friendships that I've maintained across decades, geographic distances, and even long stretches of being out of touch.

My H, on the other hand, is like yours: socially extroverted. However, my H doesn't know how to connect with people on a deeper emotional level because he won't allow himself to be seen as flawed or vulnerable (and he is not honest with people, as it turns out). As a result, he has no long-term connections that he's able to maintain, and his social circle is very light. I don't envy that. People like that can certainly stay busy and entertained, and appear to be the life of the party, but it doesn't always mean that those are satisfying "friendships." It sounds to me like your H purposely kept his friends from you all these years -- almost like he didn't want to share them with you. Just be who you are, don't worry about what he is seeking, and know that there will be someone out there who will value you for who you are, not for your social connections. And you have the kinds of friends who are likely to stick by you no matter what.