I wonder if a number of people around me are indeed correct - I get the impression that I am simply written off as not caring enough, that there is somehow a wall that stops overinvolvement. Is this true? Have I stopped being a real friend and have resigned to a superficial analysis of my friends' needs and wants. Am I an afterthought in their lives? Are they in mine? Does it make a difference? I ask myself whether this is simply a defence mechanism as I cope with the ever-increasing amount of 'things to do' in my life and how I perceive my role.