Moby Iris

We meet a lot of people in our lifetimes, but it's hard to maintain friendships if your lives are going in different directions. I think proximity really is the biggest factor in the success of any relationship. It's not just geographic proximity either. Experience proximity matters too (whether you are attempting graduate school, stuck as a corporate slave, or experiencing a quarter-life crisis - for example). Of course, there is always that superglue bond that naturally forms between people who speak the same language of crazy, but you still miss out if you can't be around that person regularly.

I know I'm probably more sentimental that most people, but I even miss people that I only knew for a couple of days. Not to get too sappy, but I think it's because I feel like it's an honor to be a part of anyone's life for even a moment... and my elephant memory won't let me forget either. If you've ever met me, chances are I can remember exactly what I think is amazing about you, and I have probably wondered where you are now more times than you think.

For the most part, I'd say that I am pretty good at hunting down people from my past and reconnecting with them. Hell, there's no better way to spend your time if you are fed up with your job at a company that doesn't bother to block most websites. My record would have to be forcing two people from elementary school to meet up with me. I know the stalking will get harder as more time passes though... damn the whole name change thing. I went to an alumni meeting for my dorky business program this year, and every introduction started with "Hi, my name is Ima Marriedgirl. In college, my name was Ima Singlegirl." Getting married seems like the fastest way to drop off the face of the earth. However, that probably won't stop me from trying to find people (warning to anyone who is actively trying to avoid me)... so you better say 'hi' to me now and get it out of the way.

Even if I manage to find every single person I've ever met in my life, there will still be that illusive Iris out there. She surfaces every couple of years with a cheery e-mail message... and then goes back into the darkness...