There's an interesting article on the op-ed page in the newspaper today about friendship -- or rather about Americans' lack there of. The article, by the Washington Post's Sebastian Mallaby is on 11A and carries the headline "Americans neglect friendships and lose important soul mates."

It caught my eye because we're planning to theme a future Her Times issue (Oct. 29) on Friendship and the important role friends play (or should play) in our lives.

The article addresses the new loneliness numbers which appeared Friday in the American Sociological Review which show that Americans who reported an average of nearly hree close friends in 1985, now report an average of just over two. In addition, one in four say they have nobody with whom to discuss personal issues.

The article goes on to say: "This is the age of Oprah and MySpace, of public emoting on television and the Web. Apparently, people watch 'Friends' but don't actually have any."

Mallaby says it's the American way of life -- our modern society that creates the tools that extend your casual networks -- like this blog -- while doing nothing to remove the basic need for soul mates.

Something tells me that Mallaby is a glass-is-half-empty person.

I think it's remarkable that Americans -- despite our demanding jobs, our long commutes, our children's umpteen thousand activities and the mammoth homes we build and must then care for -- have found a way to connect with each other and establish "friendships" in ways that work with our current lifestyle.

Personally, e-mail has allowed me to reconnect with at least five friends that I maintain friendships with purely through e-mail. I'd never have kept a friendship with these women were it not for our cyber-chatting. We report on daily life events, ask each other for advice, we gossip -- all via the Web. I have dozens of e-mail girlfriends. Some live across town -- some live across the country. I've even converted casual work contacts into bona fide girlfriends through e-mail exchanges.

Does that fact that we rarely meet face-to-face make us any less friends? Does the fact that we "bond" over a keyboard make our relationship any less important to our lives?

I think not.

My cyber girlfriends serve a vital purpose in my life. As does this blog and the chance to connect with our readers on a daily basis. I want to know you. I want you to know me. That's the most basic of human needs -- to know each other and to form relationships (to connect).

Who's to say that one way is more effective or fullfilling than another? If, in our hurried-up, overbooked, rush-rush world, this is the best we can do -- I'll take it. At least I have some way to maintain contact with my old friends and to make new ones.

Gott run -- my in-box is half-full.