Vacancy Chains and "Real Life"

I'm not a huge Harrison White fan, but I do think his notion of vacancy chains is worthwhile. Perhaps the only truly generative theory he brought to sociology (as opposed to his other largely impenetrable writings) , Smith and Abbott fruitfully applied his theory and methods to understanding labor market mobility amongst D-1 football coaches in 1983.

In graduate school, I've observed support and friendship networks kind of work in a similar manner. As old friendships go stale, or people drift apart, support and gossip (the equivalent of grooming in primates) networks rewire and people become closer with others to fill voids. Consequently, attitudes in networks polarize and flip-flop in complex chains (as per Heider's balance theory). However, I am thinking that there are times where the vacancies (or holes) opened up by changes in friendship/affective ties simply dissipate. In my case, a very good platonic friend of mine of the opposite sex appears to be initiating a flirt-mance with one of the new students in my department, and I think it's only a matter of time before it develops into something more (if it hasn't already). While I'm happy for her, and the lack of pangs of jealousy in my gut are a good hint that I know I made the right decision by keeping things platonic with her for the past year or so when we became close, I also realize that I've been supplanted as the so-called "Golden Boy" in her life. I'm totally okay with that too, it just means that I'm going to see her a lot less now, and in this case, no vacancies are opened up by these transpirings for me to fill the void. Unfortunately, close friendships are much more difficult to come by than the head coaching job at Idaho.