Most of my friends have exceeded the expectations I had for them. They may have boring 9-5 jobs but they have homes, families, etc. If anything I'm the one who's fallen back. I'm 41, still single and renting.
I run into people I went to high school or elementary school with sometimes when I'm back home...occasionally I'll run into someone who I went to elementary/high school with who goes to the same university as I do. Most of 'em are at various universities or just working.