LOOK WHO'S TALKING NOW! ✍️

 

A brief comment that I typed out on an old school friend's FB page, after very long; made me think about how, as time goes by, we slowly and gradually drift apart from so many, many friends, who once used to be an important part of our everyday conversations and life experiences. 

It made me feel a little sad, to think about how people, who were such an integral part of our world, just a few decades ago; get turned into only a dear old familiar name, whose posts we occasionally follow on social media, or who are part of a long list of names on chat groups...I'm anyway, what you would call, a kind of 'a hermit crab' or 'a silent spectator' on most or all chat groups; hardly ever joining into a conversation, unless it is absolutely necessary.

Strangely, there was a time, when I used to list out 'corresponding' and 'making friends', as some of my 'Hobbies' on those old slam books, that we used to fill up for friends, in our school days. Even before social media made an appearance in our lives, my friends used to say, 'You always keep in touch with everyone'.😊

I guess, 'Letter Writing' used to be one of my favourite things to do, in the times of 'snail mail'; and if you were a close family member or friend, who lived far away, you would receive long hand-written letters from me very frequently📨📬...There were also a couple of school and college friends, with whom I used to literally have hour long conversations, on our old landline phones.☎️

From then to now; when I sometimes don't know what to say to a person, after two sentences.🤷‍♀️ Only a couple of really close friends, still get to hear me talking more than that; and even that happens, just occasionally these days.

...But I think, I've gradually evolved into a very 'Happy Listener', in most face-to-face conversations. The people or the conversation has to really interest me, for me to actually open my mouth and join in. I guess, I like to think of myself as a 'Friendly Loner', who still has lots of friends; but is happier to not have to communicate verbally, as long as it can be avoided.

One or two 'Unfortunate Ones' though, had been forced to be my 'Listening Ears' for a couple of years (whether they wanted to be or not), because even a 'Good Listener' needs to have her say sometimes and somewhere (even if it's only in writing) Thank You for patiently listening (directly or indirectly), literally every single day, when you did. Was glad to have those ears around, for a while.🤗 You know, 'you still mean the world to me' and I really don't know, what I would ever do without 'Special Friends Like You'.✨️❤️

...and the few other friends and family too, (and close friends of my mum also) who took the time to read my regular extra-long posts, (back when I used to share these often, on FB), were the other unsuspecting victims of my regular 'verbal diarrhoea'.🙈😂 I'm glad you are always around, even from a distance (despite me choosing to be so distant, and almost impossible to communicate with, over the last few years).💕

Anyone who reads this post, will never believe that I don't talk much.😆 I think, it's all this extra wondering, that's making me ponder on how much, 'Time' and our 'Life Experiences' change us. Over the years, as life takes us in different directions, friends we used to be really close to in school, college, the choirs we sang with, friends in youth groups, old neighbours who moved away, and even close colleagues we used to see at work and interact with, every single day, who were almost like family; become people we talk to, only on birthdays, festivals or family occasions, and even that has been reduced to, just a one line chat message, if at all (at least for me).

Our 'Communication Circles' dwindle in size and our 'Inner Circle' also keeps changing as time passes, with new people (who are currently a part of our lives), taking the place of older friends and family...and that also, slowly gets smaller. We still have loads of friends; but we don't communicate with everyone in the same way. 

I guess, 'That's Life'...Constantly Evolving! Ever Changing!😊...The old relationships and friendships still matter a lot and will always remain dear; but the ways in which we interact and connect, just 'Change'.✍️

(This is a post I wrote on FB, last year on this day, 9th March '2023. Just updated it a little bit, here and there, before saving it here; because sadly, a lot can change in our interactions with people, in just one year too.)