Before I discuss relationships, I need to give you some background information about myself. From the age of about six to almost fourteen, I lived in a very small, remote mining community in northwestern Ontario. Families moved in and out of the community at an alarming rate, because most employment was dependent on how well the mine was doing. Also, many people did not stay long due to the remoteness of the area. This was the 1970s and 80s, before the internet and the following communications explosion.
The year I started grade seven, a new girl my age moved down the block. Now this was exciting, because in a community with the population of about 1000 in the middle of nowhere, there were few children of any age. We hit it off immediately, and she hung around with me and my next door neighbour. We were blossoming into women, discovering things about ourselves, the world and the opposite sex. We had many good times and laughed a lot. This came to an end at the end of grade seven when her family suddenly moved away.
By this time, I was used to friends coming in and out of my life. Some were around for a few years, others only a few months. I hung around with others, and moved on with my life. As the years passed, the thought of this friend would occasionally pop into my head and I would wonder what she was doing. I was pleasantly shocked about a year and a half ago, when I received a message through Facebook from this friend. We frantically sent a barrage of messages, pokes, songs, and many other types of Facebook communications in an effort to catch up with each other. I know this has probably happened many times to each of you. Most of the time after the initial catching up period, there is some back and forth communication, but in most cases this is fairly limited.
Somehow, even though we live in different countries and about 1500 kilometres (950 miles) apart, I feel that this friend and I reconnected in a way that is meaningful. We have regular communication with each other, often long messages that go back and forth spanning the course of weeks. She is an ear to listen, so to speak, and I feel comforted and supported by her. I hope she feels the same way towards me.
People come and go in our lives. Some leave a greater imprint on our psyche than others. In this world of the global village, MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Twitter, etc., we come into contact with many people that we never would have in previous eras. But how many of us actually have significant relationships with these people? Maybe it is time to try to connect more with the people in our lives in a way that makes each person feel relevant to us.
This blog is dedicated to my, and I quote, “long-time listener, first-time caller & one of your biggest fans…….N.P.”. Thanks for everything, no need to behave yourself and keep your chatter relevant (you know what I’m talking about), and too bad we lost 27 years! Here’s to the next 27!