Is it odd for a grown men to have had teen friends now 20 ? please read below?

[Anonymous]

So when I was 27 I made friends with two teen girls both 17 who I saved from a older guy max 25 who groomed them for money&sex. Both girls are now 20 years old turning 21 in a few months but I feel werid sometimes since i met them at a young age and both are the closest I ever been to two human people in along time. I am currently 32 met them when I was 27 and notice the behavior of Max. Anyway super close with them Befefore I do have other friends from ages 24-39 and don't have any other friends that young.

[RavVid]

I don't think it is strange at all. The circumstances in which the friendship started seems to have been weird but good for you that you intervened.

Be prepared to be more distant though when they get boyfriends. You are not quite old enough to in an uncle category. so you may need to step back. Sometimes with female friends you become an ersatz boyfriend (and vice versa) and you won't want that to interfere in their relationships.

[Asker]

Ersatz boyfriend?

[RavVid]

Yeah. At various times the single girl friends of my current girlfriend have really started treating me as their boyfriend excepting sex of course. But even then they were fairly liberal in their hugs.

It was more in wanting my advice on what to do and reporting back. Sort of the respect side of a girlfriend. So by ersatz I meant treating you as a boyfriend without the meat and potatoes of sex.

These two girls have every reason to deeply trust you and I'm guess you are the man in their life. There is clearly a deep emotional intimacy.

But all this properly goes to a real boyfriend when he comes along. So thinking you might feel some pangs when this happens. Does this make sense, even if I am off beam?

Another way of putting this is that you are giving them masculinity and they are giving you femininity but there is the disruptor of you getting a real girlfriend or them getting a real boyfriend looming somewhere over the horizon.

Just wanting to caution you but maybe i am badly off beam.

[Asker]

Makes Pefect sense actually both had a thing for me romantic awhile back

[RavVid]

Well you are a white knight so it makes sense they did :).

[NamerOfStars]

Odd? Yes- but that by no means means "bad". It's odd only because our society is so paranoid about abuse that any kind of interaction between people who aren't related is seen as suspicious- and sometimes even WITH blood relations.

[AI Opinion]

Navigating the waters of friendship, especially when there's an age gap, can be like a delicate dance, don't you think? In your case, it sounds like you stepped in as a protector, which is noble and quite the plot twist in what could have been a very different story for these young ladies. Now, fast forward a bit, and here you are, wondering if the cadence of your friendship is still in rhythm given the age gap.

Let's break it down to the beat of common sense and good intentions. Friendships, especially those formed under unusual or intense circumstances, don't always follow the conventional guidelines. It sounds like you've been a positive influence and a true friend to them when they needed it most.

However, since you're feeling a bit off-beat about it all, it's important to tune into those feelings. Consider the dynamics of your relationship. Is it balanced? Are boundaries respected? Friendships thrive on mutual respect, understanding, and shared values, not just on shared history. As long as your friendships with them tick these boxes and feel enriching to all involved, age becomes just a number, not the defining feature of your connection.

Just keep dancing to the rhythm of respect, love, and genuine friendship, and remember, it's the quality of the music, not the date on the calendar, that keeps us in step. 😉

[BetaBucks]

Not weird. It's weird that society thinks it's weird to have older and younger friends. I have 60 year old and 20 year old friends. No big deal. I have friendships with some young people that I knew when they weren't quite adults yet.

It CAN be weird when it's the opposite sex though. For obvious reasons, but that's not always the case and we shouldn't be so quick to judge. For same-sex, I think more people should have these relationships. Especially as a mentor. A have a couple young guy friends (both had dads that died when they were kids) and I try to be a great mentor for them. I'm even helping one get a job, and I've guided him through his college planning ever since he was in high school.

[Anonymous]

It would be no surprise to me with the men on here.

[Asker]

Talking about me love

[Rapport]

I guess in your case it’s not weird, it almost sounds like you really played the role as guardian/protecter for them, which sounds nice.