Lovers and Fighters | Section 22

I interviewed my father for this assignment. He indicated that he was close to his friend because they share a lot of the same interests, they make each other laugh a lot, and they are comfortable talking about anything. My father recounted that he does not have any shared activities with his best friend, but indicated that talking is how they spend their time together, often about meaningful topics. Christopher Killmartin describes stereotypical two-men friendships as being emotionally shallow, and consist mainly of doing activities together. My father and his friend do not generally do activities together, and they have serious conversations, therefore his friendship is not a stereotypical one. My father indicated to me that he has in the past told his friend how much he means to him by telling his friend that he values their friendship and by thanking his friend for being a good listener. His friend responded well by thanking my father. This too goes against the stereotypical men friendships as Christopher Killmartin notes that it is more typical for closeness to come about in friendships by helping one another with tasks or continuing to spend time together, rather than direct statements, like one my father made to his friend.