I was at my old alma mater last week (Go Norse!) a few times. The first time I was helping out my fraternity, and the second time I went to the NKU Bands concert. Being in the Concert Band all throughout college, I experienced a wave of nostalgia. It really got me thinking about old places and old faces...
Nostalgia has always been an enemy of mine. Thinking about good times are good, but to have a longing for the past? Is that really healthy? I have had so many good memories at NKU. The crazy thing was, when I went back for both events, there were new faces everywhere. Was I even at the same place, or was it a variation of the same place? I started to feel like I was 67 years old. Those young wipper snappers. Whatever that means.
Then I had some other thoughts, that were scarier. All those friends I hung around with at NKU-whether in my fraternity, or around the music department, or around the communication department. Where are they now, and why haven't we been keeping in touch? Would they remember me or did I become a ghost in the past? Am I obsolete to them?
This brings me to the key question I want to present here: How do good friends become old friends?
You know how you catch up with a friend you havent seen since the good old days? You're at a wedding, and you run into that person. You may introduce others to that person like, "this is a dear old friend of mine from college. We haven't seen each other in years." Then that whole time you spend catching each other up-talking about old faces and old places. Then, you say your goodbyes. Maybe say we should get the old gang back together. But in the hustle and bustle of life, you know that'll never happen. Maybe a happy birthday on facebook, or a christmas card.
But the friendship was GREAT in college. It was so engaging and engrossing. Just something happened where you lost touch.
Then you keep in contact with a close circle of friends from college that journey through life with you. I'm fortunate enough to have a close circle of friends I see every week. And if not weekly, I know that I'll see them. I know that we are connected, and haven't lost touch.
Maybe life is just a series of intertwined paths. Sometimes you intersect with someone else's path for YEARS, or sometimes its just a couple of months. Then your life just takes you on a different path away from the group. Maybe God just connects us with people, and gets us away from relationships that could be damaging in the long run.
Why does there have to be that effort when trying to keep in touch with someone? You tell an old friend, "Hey lets meet up for coffee," but then it just takes weeks to plan, or schedules just conflict, then both parties forget to set something up. But then other times its very seamless.
I would love to make that effort in really connecting with old friends, close friends, and all of my relationships. Take some serious time to invest in these people God has put in my life. Even though sometimes it may be harder to reconnect... I'm just going to keep trying.
