I’ve never been a good texter; I’m a sporadic responder, a feen for punctuation, and a lover of capitalization. It wasn’t until college started and enough new friends made a remark on my texting style that I began to change a little. I occasionally threw in a few emojis and started making my texts sound ever so less serious and robotic. But growing up, I’ve always watched my mom flip through her phone book and call up an old friend and spend the day cackling and catching up in her bedroom; the lilt in her voice and joy of pure laughter filled the whole house and it would put a smile on my face. My military family taught me that the good friends aren’t necessarily the most accessible ones.
Despite that lesson, I’m always thankful for college providing a space where students of similar ages can gather and live in such close proximity. The convenience of meeting up exempts me from carrying out long conversations over text. Instead, I can simply suggest a meet up spot and time.
But as school started and classes were all in person again, I realized that I no longer had that ability to just meet up with a graduated upperclassman. As I walked through grounds, reuniting with friends and sharing what we did this past summer, I discovered that I still had no idea how my upperclassman friend’s summer went. Impulsively, I called and he picked up within the first few rings.
And for an hour we caught up, covering all sorts of topics. And although I enjoyed the conversation and felt happy, a part of me forlornly reminisced fun adventures and precious memories that will be more and more difficult to recreate with time. I’m not even out the door of college, but I’m already feeling a wave of nostalgia for these days where friends are within a walkable distance.
It is the inevitable cycle of growing up, and I’m already envisioning a future that parallels my mother’s own one–weekends spent calling an old friend and hoping that all is well.
But here’s a sign to start practicing early! Find that old middle school friend and give them a call. See how they’ve been and what they’re up to. I think it’s remarkable to hear how a person’s dream is now becoming a reality. To revel in their stories is an experience that no words can quite capture. So ring that old friend, listen to them, and marvel at how despite the time and distance, their laughter will be a beautiful constant.