Revisiting Friends

Last Friday, I reconnected with a dear friend. Corinne lives in France and was visiting a friend who lives outside of Goteborg. She and I worked together in Santa Monica at Business.com in 2000-2001. This was back in the dot.com golden age. Right as it went bust. The experience consisted of long days stretching into night, illogical management decisions, dot.com perks that receded as our fortunes waned, the inevitable slide into downsizing, and the demoralization of downsizing. There also was the euphoria of launch day, striving to create something that was useful AND could be monetized, and the cachet of working for a dot.com. But, most importantly, there were some truly wonderful people with whom I got to work. Corinne was one of them.

Corinne took the train into town. In tow, was 6 month-old Emile; one of Corinne's three children. We lounged on the deck for a bit and got caught up. Then, TJ met us for lunch at a cafe with an outdoor space; the weather couldn't be any better. TJ and I took turns feeding Emile. And, yes, it takes a bit of skill to ensure that the food goes directly in his mouth. My skills are a bit...nonexistent. Corinne and I wandered around town after lunch. And before long, I was saying goodbye at the train station.

Too short. And, yet, just enough. To reconnect. To share stories. To allow each other into our respective lives. To pick up where we left off. With no worries about the gap in between.

I've been getting in touch with friends from the past lately. And had the good fortune to have some friends contact me. I love being able to pick up where I left off with a friend even if it's been a month or six months or a year or longer. Time shouldn't erase the connections we've made throughout our lives. But, often, it does. And the difficulty lies in bridging that gap in time. Without worrying about whether there is someone to blame. There isn't. Without thinking that some base level of correspondence is required going forward. None is. Too often people focus on "why haven't you called [or written]" instead of "it's great to see [or hear from] you again."

So, Corinne, it was great to see you. I look forward to the next time.