Connections

I met up with an old friend I haven't spoken to in ten years this Saturday.  It's interesting connecting with someone that you haven't seen in so long. We grew up together from 7 to just after high school graduation. We lost touch, met up in China briefly, and that was the last time we spoke.

The most prominent thing that I recognized is that even though we are in very different places in our lives, there are many common themes.

A frustration with our inability to communicate effectively in our relationships.  And the fact that you get very little guidance in that capacity in school and as a youth.

Recognition that we are among many that we so often don't understand.  Our perspective on things of value is different than others we meet. I'm lucky in that I've surrounded myself with like-minded people at kung fu.

The knowledge that our grandparents are old enough that that are starting to require care and, that someday, it will be our parents, and then us in the distant future.  It's amazing how reminders of our mortality continually worm their way into our lives.

But among all those heavy topics, we managed to still laugh and share. Maybe we're not off to such a bad start after all. And I am thankful that during many of my formative years, I had friends like him to learn from.