Old Friends

As children we learn much wisdom in the form of small rhymes and proverbs. These are passed along to children by their parents and grandparents, teachers and relatives. One came to mind last night as we sat in the evening after enjoying our dinner outside.

Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, but the other's gold.

No matter how much time passes between visits, whether it's a day, a week, a month or a year, those who are truly friends can sit down together and share an immediate rapport. There's a comfort there that just fits, laughter and information racing each other around a conversational track.

Actually, a court reporter's transcript of our conversation would probably be unbelievable. The discussion ranged from food to World War II to current politics, swinging through Viet Nam and college, our working years, and the changes in hospital care and treatment. We discussed the economy and technology, retirement, Kodiak Island and — well, we were out there for hours, and there were four of us, sometimes all talking at once, it seemed.

So this is your call to arms. If you have a friend you haven't seen in a long time, do yourself a favor. Find yourselves a table somewhere, or a couch or a bench. Do it at your place, or their place, or even somewhere in between. Get together as quickly as you can make it happen. You'll thank yourself. Time doesn't stand still, and we don't all live forever.