Keeping in Touch

First off, I should apologize for that last post. I wrote the post in haste, with too many connections swirling around in my head. It could have been better thought out.

Anyway, we'll see how today's post goes.

Last night, I went to a birthday party for a friend from college. We went out to a bar called The Cabooze (great name, huh?). One of her favorite bands was playing there. I didn't stay long enough to actually see the featured band, but they are called Enchanted Ape, if any of you follow the Minneapolis music scene.

There were people there from different aspects of her life, so I didn't know everyone. But eventually, there were about seven of us from college. Most of us hadn't seen each other in quite a while. One of the people there was someone I was very close to in college. I haven't seen her for about two years.

I was thinking about my ability to keep in touch with people. It seems like I'm not very good at keeping in contact. My best friends are the people who I'm around. When we fall out of touch, then I don't make a lot of effort to make sure I see them. It saddened me last night to know that we have drifted apart.

Of course, I have some friends...many friends, in fact, with whom I can still have a great relationship without keeping in constant contact. There are people that I don't see for years, but when we do get together, we have a great time.

Maybe my mourning of this friend is too premature. After all, our conversation was made difficult by the live band on stage. It was only when the college group assembled that we did a formal, "What have you been up to" with each person reporting. That probably could have opened the conversation up a lot more.

I guess keeping in touch with people is another discipline. Right now, I'm trying to keep up several disciplines. I'm trying to stretch and exercise more (see my other post on that). I'm trying to write a little in my blog every day. I'm trying to keep some sort of regular devotional life. I'm trying to manage a non-profit. I'm trying to keep better track of my money. Keeping in touch with friends is something else that takes practice and determination.