That ' f ' word

Our elderly neighbors whom we've been friendly with for going on 8 years, as long as we've lived here, finally sold their home and moved into a retirement community. They'd been talking about it for years, actually ever since we moved in but after the first few years I chalked it up to idle talk.

But the nice old man who whistled while working in his garage (like Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain, yes he was that good), and his wife did move, and it was strange for those first few days that they were gone.  No more whistling could be heard from my office window, nor clanking noises from him messing with his tools in his garage. < Sigh >

We met the 'new people' who bought their house and they seem very nice, and more our age.  They are practically gutting the house and re-modeling it.  The house was built in the 80's and so I wasn't surprised with that but instead of going from room to room, every room has carpet stripped, wall paper stripped, etc. It is going to be one major renovation!

My hubby had told me as he met them before I did that they hadn't lived in their previous home all that long, maybe 3 years.  And when we were chatting while over there I heard the word flipping from the wife's lips.  They had flipped their last house.  Now every one is entitled to do whatever they like with a house they purchase but I came away from there wondering if that was the only reason they bought my old neighbor's house. Just to flip it?  I was hoping we could possibly make some new friends in them and maybe get together once in a while, etc.  But now that I think they are just flippers, I'm hesitant to even bother.  If they may be just moving in a few years, no sense in building any kind of friendship. Maybe that is shallow and harsh of me, but there is a certain investment of time, sharing, trust building, etc., that comes with developing friendships and as long as my thoughts are those of transient folks, it just doesn't seem worth it. 

It is somewhat of a shame that my best and only friends are my co-workers and we are all 'virtual' friends except for the occasional corporate meeting where we get to enjoy each other in person for a few days since we all work at home.  There isn't a day that goes by though that I don't thank GOD for those friends!