Catching up..how long is too long?

[MANT!]

Well, I've a tale to tell..

My best friend in High School and college (and my Best Man in my first wedding) dropped off my radar about 20 years ago.. I had no contact with him since 1989..until today.. (You see his name is very common..like John Smith so every websearch gave me literally THOUSANDS of hits and as I didn't know where he lived, you can see my problem) finally I saw his name on a High School website and I sent an email to him..he called me tonight..sounded exactly the same but after all it's been 20 years..how can one catch up on that long a time?

Is it even possible?..has anyone else gone through this?

Crikey..

 

[Ashu]

Ive never had the chance to catch up with someone after twenty years, but Ive done it after ten. It's not easy, but a renewed friendship can be made. Just dont go into it expecting it to be exactly like it was before, or at least not right away. People change and move on, but that doesnt mean you cant reenter each others lives in a new way.

So just go with the flow and see where it takes you.

 

[Aurian]

Well, I've a tale to tell..

My best friend in High School and college (and my Best Man in my first wedding) dropped off my radar about 20 years ago.. I had no contact with him since 1989..until today.. (You see his name is very common..like John Smith so every websearch gave me literally THOUSANDS of hits and as I didn't know where he lived, you can see my problem) finally I saw his name on a High School website and I sent an email to him..he called me tonight..sounded exactly the same but after all it's been 20 years..how can one catch up on that long a time?

Is it even possible?..has anyone else gone through this?

Crikey..

Never done that, but go for it You have bonds that give you enough to speak about. I think it is very neat

 

[StolenThunder]

I think with Facebook and Friends Reunited and so on, these types of meetings are increasingly common. You got along then and there's twenty years to catch up on - I'm sure there'll be enough to talk about over a beer or two.

 

[DarkHelmet]

I think if you are truly friends, then the passage of time means very little. I have had 3 specific instances via facebook, and it's been.. awesome.. reconnect, hang out, have them (all are married) over for dinner...

Sometimes you just lose touch, even with best intentions.

If you really "feel it", I say, based on my experience --- go for it.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Sometimes classmates.com calls out to me-- luckily, I've resisted so far.

 

[RoJoHen]

I really do think the social networking age is going to help people maintain friendships. I'm only 24, but there are tons of people I haven't spoken to since high school, but because of facebook I still have some idea what is going on in their lives, so if I did see them, I could probably strike up a conversation pretty easily.

 

[An Officer]

Catching up with someone who hasn't seen you for so long can be a wonderful experience. I say go for it and see how it goes. You'll probably need days catch up on everything! I recently caught up with a Primary school friend of mine who had been living in Brighton all these years - turns out we've led ridiculously parallel lives in so many ways. It was great! You might find you haven't grown apart as much as you might imagine. Satisfy our curiousity and come back and tell us.

 

[nevermore]

For instance, I had drinks and saw Let the Right Once In with a friend of mine from middle school last winter who I hadn't seen since at latest 1992. Had a great time, got along just like we always did. Of course, we still have relatively similar lifestyles though we're on different coasts, and that probably helped.

Actually, come to think of it, I've either met up on purpose with or randomly run into several people from middle school who I hadn't seen since 1990 or so and its generally gone well, even if some of them aren't necessarily people I would hang out with regularly anymore.

 

[Kestra]

Well, I've a tale to tell..

My best friend in High School and college (and my Best Man in my first wedding) dropped off my radar about 20 years ago.. I had no contact with him since 1989..until today.. (You see his name is very common..like John Smith so every websearch gave me literally THOUSANDS of hits and as I didn't know where he lived, you can see my problem) finally I saw his name on a High School website and I sent an email to him..he called me tonight..sounded exactly the same but after all it's been 20 years..how can one catch up on that long a time?

Is it even possible?..has anyone else gone through this?

Crikey..

This sounds like it could be awesome, and it's at least worth pursuing. Having friends drop back into your life unexpectedly can sometimes turn out to be a wonderful thing!

 

[Mr Awe]

I think this is increasingly common thanks to the Internet. Nothing really unusual about it. As to how well it works out, it depends on how close you were at the time *and* how similar you are now.

Interestingly, I went to my HS 20 year reunion last year and talked extensively to this girl. I literally did not talk to her at all in HS. Had no interest in her. Etc. Nothing wrong with her, just different circles. We chatted the most at reunion. It was great. So you never know.

The Internet makes the cost of trying so low, why not try?!

Mr Awe

 

[Holdfast]

Is it even possible?

I'm minded to agree with the others; it could work. Might not, of course. But if the opportunity cost is low, then why not try!