We've Come a Long Way, Baby

Last night was the 10th anniversary of my wife and I's first date. Ten years ago, my wife and I attended a social function at our college called "Artist Series" where the college would bring in theatrical or music acts for an evening, so that folks would not have to go anywhere (Lexington, KY was not far away, but not much to do in Wilmore!) The theater company performed Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and we had a blast.

Fast forward to last night, and you'd think we'd go out and have a big dinner, right? Nope. We're easy to please--we got Chinese takeout (about $40 worth--it's the ONLY way to go. it's like having your own buffet!) and watched TV that we had saved on our DVR. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that are the most satisfying.

The Facebook Fad

So now I am part of the growing sensation which is Facebook. My wife had been on the site for a little while, and I can easily see its appeal. You can connect up with friends from high school, college, grad school, groups or geographic areas of the country--I found some people I hadn't seen in years.

I suppose we all desire connection with others in some way--the internet can be used in a good way to help us to reconnect to those whom we once knew.

Friendships

As a quick aside, I have been frustrated lately with folks I've tried to stay in contact with. I know that lives get busy and we have other pressing matters, but it seems to me that it is quite hard to gain or make a friendship, and so easy to maintain it.

I have been unable to regain contact over the last two years with several friends from high school and several friends from college--it is their choice, for sure--they have no obligation to email back or call, etc. With some in the city we used to live in (at the Beach), life has understandably gotten very busy, and I can understand that. In fact, even when I was younger, a strong acquaintance (we were not quite friends, but hung out at school quite a bit) moved to an adjacent city, only 10 miles a way, and I can't say that I ever called him or got together with him once he moved, and we lost touch--so I am by far innocent of such actions.

Perhaps too this frustration is heightened by the fact that since I am on the road a lot, I have the opportunity to use my cell to try to contact people (this is the reason that one law school buddy and I, who lives on the West Coast, keep in such good contact), and thus I have "time" to do this. However, it is more likely that since I have no real friends here in our new city that I am trying to keep in touch with old friends.

So other than a few law school buddies and my college roommate, I am at the point of giving up on trying to contact the others, especially when it seems that I need contact with them more than they do with me (maybe they are trying to tell me something?).

Who knows--I do know that in looking around, many folks in this world treat friendship too lightly.