How far is "Corporate friendship" acceptable?

"Corporate friendship"... A term I got introduced to, before two years.... Yes, I started my career two years back... From then on, I've been having lots of friends... "Corporate Friends"....

I would define "Corporate Friends" this way - People who get introduced to you in office, who become a good company to you, with whom you discuss official matters, and sometimes, personal matters too.... These ppl seem very close till U r in the company... But once one of these ppl leave the company, the friendship is lost... We depart with the words, "Small World".... Some day in the future, you might meet this friend in a shopping mall or a theatre (or in an interview for a newjob!!!)... exchange Hellos, and leave...

Is that all? Can we maintain friendship only to this level? Why can't the friendship that started in an organization continue even after you leave the place? Recently, a collegue [or friend?? :)] asked me "Ippo dhaan friends aanom, adhukkulla poreengalae pa"... Which made me think.... Yes, this friendship has to come to an end right? I don see how you can maintain friendship, after you leave a company... The society is one thing... another thing is the fact that each individual wants to proceed on ith his or her life... not hold on to the past...

I have this wierd habit of saving "Bye Bye" mails... Each of these mails contain a contact e-mail ID, a mobile number, and stuff... Plus a line which says, "Keep in touch"... But how many of us mean this, and how many of us preserver the details so as to keep in touch? I myself will be sending a similar mail to all my collegues/corporate friends, when I leave my company... But with how many ppl am I going to keep in contact? GOK!!!

Maybe I can visit office once in a while... But this too can't go on... Coz ur friends will be busy with work when you visit them... and the security won't allow you in also... So half the time, you will end up returning back home after saying a formality "Hi" to everyone... This will also eventually stop, in some time... There is a saturation point for everything, I guess!!!

Everything said and done, I'll miss every one of my friends/corporate friends/ collegues, when I leave this company.... :(