"Fancy seeing you here!"

So today I went to a luncheon for my writing tutor job. It was not a lunch, but a luncheon.  The difference is that you get croissants and lemon water instead of pizza or a corn dog. 

And I think it's required to sit with your legs crossed.

Anyway,  I'm sitting down to nibble on some fresh fruit and listen to my boss's speech, when all of a sudden I spied a boy! Three rows in front of me.  He looked so familiar.  It finally clicked that he was my old high school friend's ex-boyfriend's neighbor. From that lineage of acquaintances, you can tell that we are close pals.

But really, though.  That boy and I hung out back home all the time. We roasted s'mores side by side.  We floated the river.  We hiked mountains.  We even went out on a couple of dates.

The rest of the luncheon, I sat and wondered about his trip through life.  What was his route from back home to here? How had life plopped him,  three rows in front of me?  He wore some scruff.  He changed the direction he wore his hair.  He swapped his boots and Wrangler jeans for an argyle sweater, Toms and geek glasses. Cowboy hick to preppy hipster?  Now there's a story I wanted to hear.

When the meeting was adjourned,  I approached him.  "Fancy seeing you here stranger!"

He appraised my face.

And he walked away.  As if I really was a stranger.

I muttered...Gee thanks, pal.  Not even a hello? He saw my face.  I know he saw my face.  And he recognized me.

People have a way of fading...like a newspaper in the dusty windowsill.  Nobody cares about the headliners from years ago.

Keep it current.  People like fresh. People like new.

Old news, Sarah, old news. You can't be best friends with everybody. There is no time.  Life has to change and move forward.  If you are not constantly meeting new people, you are not learning anything new.

But what happens to all those past friendships?  Do they just blow away in the wind? You can't remember everybody.