Dinner with friends
Sometimes we let our lives get so busy that we skim our friendships with others. I’m shockingly guilty of this and tend to withdraw very much into myself, staying home, writing. Socialising has become something I do very rarely so it was a real treat to catch up with a group of writing friends last night at a wonderful Italian restaurant (we won’t discuss the Neil Diamond/Frank Sinatra want-to-be solo artist) in Auckland’s Mission Bay.
But aside from the wonderful food and the great company and much laughter, it made me realise that while I don’t ‘miss’ socialising when I’m staying at home and writing, I really do still miss out on so much in my friends lives. I’ve become horribly insular. While everyone was deeply familiar to me, and definitely are people I feel happy and comfortable with, I felt as if I was, in many ways, a total stranger to what’s been happening with them in their busy worlds.
And how often does that happen? Too often, I think.
I’ve been cocooned in my own little world and not been in touch with people as much as I ought to and, really, there’s no excuse. Deadlines will always be deadlines, I still need to meet them, but I need to meet those other really important matters in my life as well. I need to make time for the important people in my life before I miss out on even more of what’s happening in their worlds, or worse, miss out on them completely.
What’s that word? Balance. I need more balance.
This week I had a contact from an old school friend, someone I haven’t seen or been in touch with for more years than I’m prepared to admit to in public, and we’re going to meet for lunch in a couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to it because we have so much to catch up on and so many memories to rehash.
What about you? Have you missed being in touch with old friends? Or are you one of these fabulous people (which I’m aspiring to be from now on) who manages to remain in contact within the confines of busy and demanding life?
