I definitely believe that having friends of the opposite sex is good for many reasons namely --
Little better understanding of what makes them tick,
be a better social conversationalists without blushing (God!! I went thru that stage initially, and it is embarassing),
You get comfortable around them,
learn life lessons from them,
exchange view points,
conversation is not limited to the same gender specific interests,
have a different perspective to an issue,
don't have to have a girl/boyfriend just to go dancing or hanging out. or to prove something to your peers
They watch out for you and will never let you be hurt if they can help it
appreciate them without relying on standard jokes that define both genders
teaches you dynamics that will help you when in a relationship
Thats few that I can come up with
Falling in love is also a lesson in life and tho it may not seem so at that time ..life goes on....
So isolating your self on the probability that something may happen is not helpful.
**PD**