At the advanced age of "over 60 and getting younger," it is difficult to meet new people and become fast friends. It is difficult but not impossible. Tolerance on both sides is a definite prerequisite for this new relationship to grow, mature and become worthwhile!

The newfound friend must be very accepting and have an open and easy frame of mind. Willingness to learn your past and your recent history plus your likes and dislikes also enter into the success of the budding relationship. Unfortunately, sometimes, politics does enter the picture.

Finding an old relative is another story. You have childhood ties and family relationships in common.

I recently became reacquainted with a cousin whom I haven't seen or heard from in 30 years. He is 65 and I am 67.

We discovered each other through another cousin who is approaching 76 and living in Orlando, FL. Nostalgia and family unity must be the reasons for bringing us together.

Our first telephone call must have lasted an hour and 15 minutes. He is a Long Islander living in Manhasset with his wife and two children. Like myself, he has a summer place in Westhampton Beach and he served in the Far East while he was in the United States Army. He outranks me. He was a major and I only reached the grade of captain.

As we talked at our first lunch together he shocked me with some inside stories of our relatives, who are long departed. Not to be outdone I revealed a few peccadilloes of some distant aunts, uncles and cousins. I let him read some of my columns about our family and in a few cases he had a whole different slant on the story than I did. I even have a picture of him carrying an Israeli flag at my Bar Mitzvah.

It was fun and he was truly interesting. All the years I thought he was a snob for bypassing family events were forgotten and absolved when he told me that his first wife disliked his wonderful and kind mother. She kept him away from his relatives and refused to attend family functions.

Our friendship is starting to grow and I am enjoying every second of it. I just hope he likes me as much as I like him.