Facebook Friends From the Past

Last night I spoke for an hour with a friend I met fourteen years ago. Jesus Christ, fourteen years.

We worked in the same office renting apartments. I was an escort. Go ahead, smile and imagine. My job was driving clients around town and showing them apartments. His job...You know, I really don't know what Simon did. I remember he was usually on a computer. He created the Center's first Web page. I didn't know what that meant at the time and when he tried to explain it to me I went into deer in headlights mode. As if people could learn about our services through a computer in another state. Please.

Simon was from England in the States with his girlfriend, Caroline, "You look a bit like my girlfriend," I remember him telling me when we first met.
"I have one of those looks." I had replied. He invited me over to meet her and hang out. We were instant friends. Instant "mates," I mean. We went to the pool together, concerts, dinner, picnics on the beach, I took them to my parents house for a home cooked Sunday dinner. Often we just hung out in their apartment. Smoking bongs and drinking, Simon fiddling on his guitar, Caroline and I impressing each other with our deep thoughts.
I don't know who I loved more, him or Caroline. But in retrospect I think that my relationship with Caroline was what I needed most at the time. I had a shortage of girl friends at the time. Caroline and I went shopping together, she taught me how to highlight my own hair, we polished each other's nails. We were so girly. Really, it makes me laugh now. I remember when they left in their tightly packed car how I cried and waved. Like a scene in a stupid movie. I thought I'd never hear from them again.

But ever few months or so I'd get a postcard from somewhere. Australia...I can't remember where else. Then I discovered email and could write more frequently. I was able to hook up with Caroline in London six years ago when I took sabbatical.
Then, a couple years ago Caroline invites me to be her friend on Facebook and I'm like, "is this gonna bring more junk mail to my inbox? Is it going to be complicated? Can I even handle this?" Now I have reconnected with more old friends than I ever thought I'd want to reconnect with. I'm loving it and at this time in my life I can use all these people in my life.

Last night after a Facebook chat Simon called me using Skype. After we both stopped giggling like a couple of school girls we had one of our familiar deep meaning conversations about life. He across the pond with his Labrador at his side and me not two miles from where we first me with my Bullmastiff on my lap. His words comforted me though the British accent freaked me out a bit.

So thank you Facebook. Thank you my old friends for being there even when you're not here.