Connected on Some Level

I have never been very good at keeping in touch with old friends as the years pull our lives in different directions. I was lucky with the few friendships I have maintained over the years, that they were better at staying in touch than I was.

At one point in time, we shared a common bond that brought us together. We shared triumphs, heartaches, and headaches. But life eventually pulled us apart, and we moved on. We get married, we have kids, and we build lives that are nothing like we planned. However, for most of us, we are happy, and enjoy the direction our lives took.

Then, once in a while, an event sparks a memory, and we wonder what happened to that guy we haven’t seen or heard from in years. Wonder how things turned out for him, or her. Wonder if we should look them up.

Then along comes social media, and we start looking those old friends and flames up. We send friends requests, and take a little joy in having the request accepted.

We accept requests from people we may have even forgot about.

For some of my Facebook friends, I have not talked to them in years. Nevertheless, I am glad that at least on some level, we are once again connected. They have their lives now, and I have mine. Their interest no longer align with mine.

However, on a very basic level, we are connected.

Some of those friends have again dropped out, and I am okay with that. Just because I am not constantly messaging or chatting with them, doesn’t mean they didn’t mean anything to me, I am just a busy person.

Nevertheless, what I have learned over the years is that even though we may be only loosely monitoring the activities of our friends, once in a while a “Like” or comment shows us that we are all still connected on a much deeper level.

When I posted my longhaired wedding photo, the response was all positive from those in the picture with whom I am Facebook friends. Mike even posted some kind words on my blog post that referenced that picture. We don’t message, we don’t talk, we just monitor. However, those words posted to my blog showed me that what we shared so many years ago, will always bind us together.

Then, there are those whom you send a friend request to, but they cannot accept. There is no room in their life for you at this point in time…not on any level. You find this out through a friend request from a mutual friend, you accept, and she asks if she can pass on a message. It’s not what I hoped for, but it’s something. Now, through the magic of social media, you can see that they are all right, and they can see that your life isn’t all-bad.

Having someone, you care deeply about, “Like” your comment on another person’s page is enough to warm your heart. It lets you know, that they are paying attention.

Nothing pulls as apart more thoroughly than the passage of time. However, now that the web of social media connects us all, those missing pieces of our lives are in some way tied together.

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