dudes, i need fellowship in thousand oaks, cali

[Quaker Dude]

I feel your pain, Hannahdude.  The only other Dudeist I know of in my part of the country (North Carolina piedmont region) is my dad.  He's my most excellent compeer in life, but the yearning to seek out and find other followers of our path remains a strong one.  Besides, whoever heard of a two-man bowling team?

As for any feelings of awkwardness over being the most seasoned Dude in your circle of friends, you shouldn't sweat that at all.  Odds are that your younger buds are just as insecure about their *lack* of age and experience.  I turn 27 next week and if there's anything I've noticed about age so far, it's that most people let it stratify and isolate them, while the wise seek out fellow travelers on ALL points of the mortal journey, so they can gain knowledge and perspective regarding what's both ahead of and behind them.

I think this is why Western culture, as great as it is, sometimes seems rudderless and devoid of any sense of direction.  We've ceased thinking of ourselves as a closely-related human family and have given ourselves over to division, stratification, and "cliquishness", thus limiting our sense of context and cheating us out of valuable experiences.

[cakebelly]

   
Well said, that Dude 

[Caesar dude]

and if there's anything I've noticed about age so far, it's that most people let it stratify and isolate them,

I've been around on this planet for 47 years. Been a lot of places met a lot of people made a lot of friends...and I guess there are a few people out there that don't like me very much.

About a year ago a young gun of 24 joined the company I work for...and started working with me...(not for me)

We became instant friends because of our outlook on life and the fact that the company we work for doesn't employ particularly clever or free thinking individuals....I'm not being big headed but we are certainly the exception to that rule....I need a job...I work....he needs a job he works....it's that simple.

He told me one day that he wanted to travel and that he'd picked Bogota in Columbia for his first foreign trip abroad! I was impressed....I've been around the world myself and I know the student trail and I did not know anyone who had ever been there! The usual jokes ensued...you're gonna be a drugs mule...you're gonna get bum raped and you're gonna lose a kidney and wake up in an ice bath etc... Jokes aside I fully supported what he was doing and encouraged him to get out there and have as much fun as he could.

Anyhoo he worked fucking hard every day for a few months ...saved up his money went of to Columbia and had a ball! Then he came back and is now doing exactly the same thing so he can travel again...

Despite our age difference we have a fucking great laugh every time we meet .... I have my experience and tall tales to entertain him, he has his youth and exuberance and plain stupidity to make me laugh.

I have a few true friends around the world ...people I have shared large  parts of my life with....most of them are peers of similar age..this guy despite his age is now part of that select few.

Age does not matter...attitude does.

Peace dudes.

[hannahdude]

so true. but mainly it like this; ok. today im drinking my white russian, and im listening to my dylan and i pull out 'the big lebowski offical deck of cards' and i my hubby and i, we play a few hands of tonic rummy, and i saw rule is everytime you discard you saw a line of diologue from that character, and he just ain't into it, i mean people i love are NOT dudes, or even lebowski film fans!

[cckeiser]

so true. but mainly it like this; ok. today im drinking my white russian, and im listening to my dylan and i pull out 'the big lebowski offical deck of cards' and i my hubby and i, we play a few hands of tonic rummy, and i saw rule is everytime you discard you saw a line of diologue from that character, and he just ain't into it, i mean people i love are NOT dudes, or even lebowski film fans!

Same here. My wife doesn't even like bowling! She liked TBL ok, but thinks I'm crazy watching it again every few months. No one else I know can quote a single line from the movie. My brother-in-law watched it; I borrowed the dvd from him in the first place, but he didn't think all that much of it. It didn't affect him as it did me. We are on the same bowling league but he just doesn't get the whole Lebowski or Dudeist thing at all.

I really don't need to hang out with dudes in real life. I am perfectly happy to abide and bowl by myself. My wife tolerates my ocd fairly well and doesn't give me too much crap for my afflictions, but I guess that's why I'm here on this forum. A place to hang out where others get it.
Not even sure how I would react if I ran into another dude in real life?
Probably wouldn't know what to say!