'Do you really lose a friend? How, and when can you say that you've really lost one?
I've asked a friend these questions after a college buddy suddenly sent me a "hi, how are you?" message (the power of mobile phones working here, you know). The message might be generic, but absolutely not when it comes from someone that you've not seen for ages already [read: just a few years, hehehe] and from someone that you've not been talking to for one good reason. I thought I lost him already, or more apt, he lost me already.
So my friend told me that no, you don't lose a friend. Once a friend, always a friend. One can be less or more of a friend, but never 'not a friend anymore.' You may not be seeing each other like before or drinking beer together just like the old days, but you remain friends still. Even in spirit, harharhar.
Upon the prodding of this friend, I sent an answer back to the college bud. My answer was the similarly generic "Im ok & U?". Short indeed, but I know that meant a lot: while it may not be suddenly back to normal again, a reconnection was established.
POSTCRIPT: I was skimming through the piles of crap in my room, hoping that I can throw away 1/2 of the paper load. I found this business card of a doctor, a pediatrician. I have some doctor-friends but I don't have their business cards. And I do not remember consulting a pedia (for what, anyway?) or meeting one. I can't place this one. But the surprise came when I flipped the card. At the back appears a hand-written message, "Hey, you almost broke the dance floor. Give me a call" plus a smiley. The card might be like 5 years already since the contact information bears no mobile number, but only a pager number. Pagers are just so of yore here, but knowing some doctors, I thought that the number might still be working. Unfortunately, it is out-of-service (sigh...). Well, I guess the old adage is true: WIN SOME, LOSE SOME.
