The first group in my buddy list is “Home Friends,” and it includes people I knew from middle school and high school. As people whom I never much talk to change their screen names, the list gets smaller. It sits there, mocking me for my past. I have few, if any friends in California. Spending the summer hear last year was pretty bad, socially. I don’t mind hanging out alone. I actually like doing things like taking walks and seeing movies by myself. But I also like to talk to people to whom I can relate. I was really dreading this summer.

Well, so far it hasn’t been too bad. I talk to a lot of Brandeis folks over IM and email. I talk to Adam Herman on the phone occasionally, but have felt uncomfortable trying to call anyone else. I know there are a few people in California who I could possibly talk to or hang out with…but I didn’t contact them. “Home Friends” sat there mocking me. These are the people of a past life! And yet, they were my friends. And when I chose them (or they chose me), I think it was for a reason. It was because we were compatible, and I think that that can last.

A week or so ago I talked briefly to Kevin Hainline. My erstwhile best friend has a new and different life. He got into theater in high school and continued that. He took a year off to do god knows what, and then ended up at Harvey Mudd, which I think was his dream school (or was it CalTech?). I remember back when he wanted to be a paleontologist, among other things. Now, I think, he is interested in the stars. There is so much I don’t know, we have drifted so far apart, can we possibly still be friends?

Maybe.

I IMed Samantha Ketchum yesterday on a whim. She seems so excited. She is very different from me, but we can still relate, can still talk. She has passions and deep thoughts, and I like that.

I hadn’t talked to Franziska von Heyman in a while. She might go by Carina now, I don’t know. Her profile linked to her blog, and reading it makes me happy. I’m happy that she is finding her place in the world, is becoming happy and comfortable at UCSD instead of hating it. I sent her an IM, we’ll see if she responds. She’s in Mock Trial. She’s doing law stuff! I had no idea…

Tyrone Davoodian is on the list. I haven’t talked to him in forever. I should. There is no reason not to IM him, and yet I hesitate. Why? I don’t know. I will have to take the plunge eventually. Maybe if he had a blog, that would make it easier.

A blog. Sometimes, a window into a person’s soul. Sometimes, a quick tool to catch up. Sometimes, a reminder that someone is alive. What an interesting world we live in.

Also on the list: Phillip Merkow. I helped him with some computer thing the other day. Andrea Huber. Never talk to her, she probably doesn’t even remember me. Kelly Stapelbroek. Way moved on, she is apparently in Germany now. Wow. Adam Kaplan. Might as well keep him on there.