Contact


"You talked to who? Jerry?" "Oh my God" I exclaimed. I haven't talked to Jerry since my junior year in high school in 1972. But here was my old friend telling me he'd just re-established contact with our one-time classmate. "And you did just happen to get an e-mail address, right?" I asked. My friend replied in the affirmative and within seconds I too had the info. This would be fun. I always enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane and I couldn't wait to reconnect with Jerry. I then added his e-mail to my contact list and then it hit me...I don't need another contact.

I perused my contact list and found I had more than seven hundred e-mail addresses, of which I regularly used only about forty or so. Seven hundred! How would I find time for yet another contact? How much quality time could I possibly give to another person in this very long list. I mean, it's not that I don't like Jerry, I do, I always did. But how many times can you slice up a given amount of a day or lifetime to spend with another person and still have time for one's real life?

The internet age has been wonderful. It has given power to the powerless and allowed the small to speak to the mighty. But there's only so many people we can deal with in real time. Or in real life. Having said that I'll probably give Jerry a call and we'll both be glad we took the time. But all these contacts will have to take something out of someone else's hide. Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul never did anyone any good. Maybe I have to start deleting contacts. Yes, that will do the trick! This will make my life simpler, easier to manage. But where will I find the time to do that? Will someone please get me off the entropy-go-round before I puke?

Comments

Kttrue said…
I talked to Jerry too. He appeared on the roof outside my window. I was so happy to see him and invited him in. As he was climbing in, however his right hand gripped my forearm. "Look at that," he said. I looked down and saw three fingers and a gap where the fourth should have been. "I want my finger," he whined.

As hard as I tried to convince him I didn't have his finger, he persisted in badgering me. I think he was coked up still. Finally I told him to fuck off and he climbed back out the window.

Sometimes it's best to leave the past in the past, ya know what I mean?
The Fool said…
In this case I'll make contact but it'll probably be a one-time thing. We'll see. Time seems to be my enemy these days. You?
Kttrue said…
Yes, it keeps leaving its crow-like footprints on my face.
The Fool said…
On you they look great though. :)
{illyria} said…
i totally get this post. i would love to talk to the hundreds of people whose email addresses i've made mental note to write to, but i never have the time. i mean, just reading my "urgent office mail" in the morning takes...well...all morning.
Anonymous said…
Thank heaven for boring jobs with hours of downtime in which I can email to my heart's content ... and now I am truly glad that I made time to email you today! Oh, and I'm caught up now so you can update. ;)
The Fool said…
DK,
In my zeal to be conservative in my estimate I miscounted the number of e-mail addresses. In reality it's not seven hundred but well over nine hundred contacts. I'm sorry I lied. :) I mean, I love e-mailing and everything but enough is enough. However, if someone could get me Catherine Zeta Jones' e-mail then I'd find time...

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