New States of Friendships

Zipping across the country through numerous states – some old, some new, some forgotten – I’ve had the privileged opportunity lately to reconnect with some dear friends.

Imbibing over beer, wine, root beer and mint tea; breaking bread in backyards, on decks, in restaurants, living rooms, kitchens and in Grand Central station; crashing in spare bedrooms, fold-out couches, floor space and basement futons; I’ve caught up on what’s new, and the benign and pleasant passing of life. There were also many late-night reminiscings on the meaning of life. Well actually, we mostly pondered on how little has changed, and how little has remained the same.

Of course, with any passage of time – up to 12 years in one instance – there was the meeting of spouses, children, parents, friends and pets. I even had time to help plant a vegetable garden with one family in Montana, trade ghost stories while chewing on dried squid with another in Ohio, and play peek-a-boo with an 18-month old Brooklyn toddler who didn’t understand a word I said.

These days with so much interaction limited to Facebook one-liners, it's good to spend face time with people I care about.