Facebook

Most of us have reconnected with friends we've found on facebook. Someone we haven't spoken to in years and suddenly, whaddyaknow? They're the friend of a friend and pop up in your "suggested friends" list.

As a teenager I had 5 friends that meant the world to me. Bryant, Tonya, Vanessa, Missy and Jill. Like most BFF teenagers, we hung out A LOT. I friended them all on facebook and they all accepted.

Tonya wrote me back an message immediately and I could tell she was as excited to find me as I was to find her. We traded several long messages catching up about our current families and stuff that had happened to us over the last 20 years and I felt like I had a true friend in this world back in my circle.

The other 4 though accepted my friend request, but responded with little more than an innocuous comment saying hi. In one case, no comment at all.

They all have families now and clearly have moved on and that's great. I wish them the best. I have a wonderful family too and spend my time in the here and now. But I remember those days.

I remember some 30 year old staring at Jill after she turned 15 (and had filled out a little) out at a pool and wanting to stomp the perv's head in. I remember stopping a mailman from choking Bryant after Bryant called him something not-so-nice and getting drunk every weekend. I remember Missy dropping me to the floor with a surprisingly vicious right hook after I scared the crap out of her once. I remember holding hands once with Tonya on a bus and hoping the bus ride would never end. I remember making fake vomit with Vanessa one night at about 3 in the morning and dumping it on a neighbor's porch.

The fact that most of these friends could acknowledge me with nothing more than a cursory "hello" kinda hurts. I guess seeing me doesn't conjure up old memories for them. It sure does for me.

I know this is so cliche, but it's true. You can never go home again.