Miss Manners: She used to brag about being wild. Now she brags about her professional life.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am in my 50s and do not have anyone I can call a real friend. My closest friend of 37 years passed away a little over a year ago. Needless to say, I am heartbroken.

An acquaintance from my past recently reconnected with me through email. While she was a very fun travel buddy in our younger days, she was also a braggart, telling false stories to make herself sound better. She would tell anyone who would listen about her many sexual experiences, though I kept telling her that she was making herself look bad.

I used to have a lot of people asking me, “Why in the world would you want to be around that girl and her horrible reputation?” But I always felt that there was a very sweet, misguided young woman underneath it all.

Through our many emails these days, I can tell that she is bragging again, about professional matters this time (she is now married). When I email her, I reminisce fondly about the many trips we took together in our 20s. I ask friendly questions and tell her that I would love to see her again. Her responses, nine times out of 10, are only about her job.

It’s almost like she just wants someone to speak at, not with.