I was just thinking of a friend I lost touch with; it's probably been less than a decade, but I think it's safe to say we haven't communicated this century though I've thought of her a number of times. We met in high school.
Her sister was in my class, and I was the first person to pronounce her name right, mainly because I took her word for how it was pronounced even though the spelling indicated otherwise. J was 2 years ahead of us, but J and I both worked at the local library. There we discovered we were kindred spirits (and that her mom makes the most rockin' chicken pot pie ever- my mom still makes it from her mom's recipe).
It's not even like we ever made plans to hang out: we just enjoyed each other's company when we crossed paths. When she left for college, we exchanged sporadic letters and postcards for a number of years. Cool letters, worth saving, and I have. Makes me miss real mail, though I confess my handwriting has gotten much worse the faster my typing has become.
Anyway, on a whim I googled her fairly distinctive name. I feel certain I'd tried this before with no luck, but this time there she was, with an email address and a string of accomplishments that are all news to me. I'm actually feeling a bit intimidated which is irrational...or not. Probably my subconscious thinking ahead to 'what do I say I've been doing for the past 6 or 7 years?' and how lame the answer seems.
Certainly better left for daylight hours.
One year ago at TTaT: More haiku- it is addictive
tags: old+friends, finding+people+via+google, letter+writing
Yesterday, I caught up with a good friend I hadn't spoken to in a couple of years.
ReplyDeleteI called her on a whim, and it was as if we had seen each other just yesterday.
You shouldn't let good friends drift away.
I reconnected rather loosely with two nuns who had been my good friends and mentors when I had spent a year in the U.S. in 1973-74. I swear that I had not been in touch with either one of them for at least 20 years. It was great to find them again, and be in touch again. I have not been e-mailing them overly frequently since this past June or July, but I am keeping in touch.
ReplyDeleteElisabeth: "I reconnected rather loosely with two nuns..." what a great opening! That's cool.
ReplyDeleteI started typing an unrelated letter yesterday and discovered I had 2 letters to J in my archive folder from dec. '00 and jan. '01. I'm not even certain if I ever sent them, or if I did, if I got a reply. Kind of bizarre to see. I'm as uncertain about my life as ever, but there's much less tumult in it now.
I'm all too familiar with the old-friend intimidation factor, but I blame it on the evil magic of the internet--it concisely sums up all the cool things people have done so that they sound like human tornadoes of coolness.
ReplyDeleteSomeone out there is thoroughly intimidated by everything you've done in the past six or seven years, simply because the internet doesn't mention that weekend you spent watching the Real World: Las Vegas marathon.
that's true about the internet. And you're right, it's possible someone out there is intimidated by my web-based accomplishments though I would chalk this up to the fact that there are some other people with my name out there who've done pretty well. It could very well appear that I've done much more impressive things than I have. ;)
ReplyDeleteI just love finding old friends :) I refound an Australian friend on google last year - now we msn and speak much more frequently than ever.
ReplyDeleteIn April I texted an old friend from up north - hadn't seen him in about 15 years - and I could hear him screaming with delight as he received the birthday greeting.. We're also on msn now...
Lately I've opened an account at LinkedIn and rediscovered two old friends from university in England.
We're all equally amazed at how little has changed between us even though life has changed a lot :) You should write her!
You're right. I should just stop psyching myself out and drop her a line.
ReplyDelete