Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Today’s blogging prompt is a challenge to describe what your imaginary childhood friend’s life would be like now. I didn’t have an imaginary friend, but there was one childhood friend who moved away in second grade. I never saw her again. So for no particular reason, I googled her and up popped a Facebook profile – I knew as soon as I saw the photo. We chatted and she confirmed that it was her. She lives about 10 minutes from our childhood neighborhood. That is a small world.

I’ve been using Facebook since June 2007 so I’ve had quite a few of these moments of reconnection. Some have led to friendships in real-time, grown up life. Others remain online, but are still “real” and others are fleeting – good, but fade away. I should say that the awe has worn off, but that’s untrue – I still find it pretty cool and exciting to reconnect with someone who I had a positive relationship with in the past.

I have only had two “old friends” who didn’t want to even exchange greetings – both were college friends and so that was a little disappointing. But sometimes it isn’t about reestablishing relationships so much as knowing that people are okay and hopefully happy.

My friend seems to be fine 35 years later. And what an awesome birthday gift to hear from her today.