Missing Old Friends

I was reading my friend Rachel's blog the other day in which she was discussing that, even though having moved to what is probably the cafe capital of the United States (Seattle), she rarely frequents coffee houses any more.  She attributes this partly to cost (how were we all suckered into thinking paying $4 for a cup of coffee was a reasonable expense??) and partly to not having her Greensboro coffee-house friends with her.

I'm sitting in a Panera right now, sipping hot orange ginger mint herbal tea and avoiding work on my networking article that's due at the end of the month and that I'm woefully behind on.  I'm also missing my friend Rachel because she was always one for hopping in the car at moment's notice and joining me at a Panera or Starbucks to while away 3 hours talking about work, husbands, goals, obstacles, dreams, and--if really pressed for topics--the latest fashions of the day or who was on Oprah.

I chase friends away.  Not intentionally, and the good news is they all go on to much better things, but the fact remains that if you live near me and are friends with me, you have maybe a 2-year shelf life with me before you move on to bigger and better things.

I moved to NC in 1992. Since then I've lost Anne, Teresa, Jennifer, Jennifer (yes, there were two), Heather, Robbyn, Rachel, and I'm soon to lose Melody as well. 

As I said, good for them, bad for me.  Everyone moved on due to promotions and following life dreams and are doing well.  I just miss them.

So, Bernie, Mariela, Joyce, Pam and crew...beware!  Being friends with me means many things but above all it means that at some point in the not too distance future, a moving van looms on your horizon.

Don't say you weren't warned.