keep in touch with friends

first task—write to all the friends for whom i do not have snail addresses and make a contact list! It is silly to only have a phone number and an email address for all these folks. I received a beautiful card in the mail the other day from a former colleague and it reminded me of how much more personal and thoughtful that gesture can be.

I wrote to a very dear mentor of mine who lives in Texas. He had been in my thoughts for a while but somehow I never found time to write. We actually only knew each other in person for a brief time but I really liked and admired him. He is also one of the few people in biz with integrity that I know. A true mentor.

And it was good. I need to do better with this rather than rely on social network sites. They are NOT the same as picking up the phone or hugging or touching someone in person.

Most people who know me would say that I am pretty good at this but actually I am not. Product of a transient childhood. You move, you lose touch, you make new friends, etc.

Even now I can think of four people whom I owe an email, a note, a phone call, etc. One of them is someone who once tracked me down across two continents to stay in touch! (Someone whom I have known since I was six years old, no less!)

My only excuse is that when I see people again after a long absence, it is as if no time has passed. However, as I grow older, I value the older connections more (who else knows you better?) and resolve to stay in better touch.