Go see them

Note to Self:

"When you know a friend is there you do not go to see him. Then he's gone and you blast your conscience to shreds that you did not see him." - East of Eden, John Steinbeck

GO SEE THEM. (Them being your long-lost friends.) Your conscience can't take any more "blasting" than you already give it. 

For AP Literature, we were assigned to read East of Eden by John Steinbeck over the summer. I assume only about half of the students actually read the entire 602 page book, but I was one of them. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it! I actually learned a lot about myself and other people/things while reading it. I know, crazy right? 

I had a lot of favorite quotes and little things that hit home for me while reading this book. The quote above is one of those things. 

I can immediately think of at least a dozen people or friends who I didn't go see... friends who I still haven't gone to see. It's heartbreaking. Some of them have moved or moved on... and others are still here. I think about them often, but I never make any move towards talking to them or seeing them. Why? I don't think there's just one real reason.  

Maybe I'm afraid; afraid that we won't have anything in common anymore and wouldn't be friends now anyway. 

Maybe I'm "busy" or think that they'll be too "busy" to see me. 

But I think I know the main reason. I have very vivid memories with these people. These are the memories that I go back on when I'm sad and confused and lost... the memories that I cherish more than almost anything else. They're just silly little things that I'm sure I've glorified over time... but that's all I have. I don't want to think about the fact that things have changed. I don't want to accept the fact that we're growing up and even growing apart some. I want to keep them safe in my past and in my memories. 

And that is just stupid. I should still be making memories with these people! Not just reliving the ones in my head. 

 SO GO SEE THEM. ALL OF THEM. Talk to them, text them, hang out with them, write them letters, message them on Facebook... anything. You don't want to regret any missed chances. 

Just another little life lesson.