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Thursday, August 22, 2013

Old friends, and memories...

Ever notice that even today, in this day of instant communication, satellites, mobile phones attached to our hips/purses/ears, we often can't sit still long enough to send someone you haven't seen or talked with for awhile, a message.

Back in snail mail days, it was a really big deal to sit down at the kitchen table and write someone a letter with pen in hand.  Maybe enclosing a couple of photos you took with your Instamatic or Polaroid, wrapped in cardboard to keep the post office from mutilating them.

What a joy it was to open that letter, we'd read it over and over, look at the pics and smile.

I have friends all over the World.

Some I keep in touch with regularly, others once or twice a year.  We exchange digital photos, talk about stuff like the weather, local floods, bikes, women/men, trips, kids... or most often, about not much at all.  People seem to think that to send an email, you have to have some earth shattering news to present, when in reality, your friend only wants to hear you're alive and well and still kicking!

Technology has certainly changed everything.  It's been doing that since the chisel was laid to stone tablet.  Today, we live in increasingly hurried lives.  Rarely do we sit still long enough to tap out three lines of email, never mind sending a postcard or letter (having a great time, wish you were here) to someone that you know would certainly appreciate it.  Sure, we think about it and just as quickly we pass it up; "I'll do it tonight, I'll do it when I have my lunch, I'll get to it tomorrow..." 

I've been around long enough through many calamities, that I learned my lesson long ago... you could be dead tomorrow, or your friend you meant to write to, to send those pictures to, to connect to. 


Are we so wrapped up in our lives that we can't take a moment to share with old friends, or even old enemies...?






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