don't worry about the length (well - not too much, it's always good to aim at brevity), we are quite capable of stopping reading if boredom sets in.

It was a great post because it was so honest and revealing - and matches to some extent my experience; after losing my best friend when he moved away, I tended to build friendships with boys the same age as I got older... subsequently I've had the experience of starting a friendship with a group of boys who were 14, and who are now 28; as that has happened, it has helped me to build better relationships with older people, and in effect my top of my AoA is now well past 20.