"buds. bros. are either of you guys around on Tuesday around noon and interested in a brunch / lunch? I'm flying up for a quick trip to see my family."
It only been a few weeks since I'd seen my friend Alex but as the years went our paths crossed less and less. After high school he went to Boston as I headed to Syracuse.
When we graduated from college he moved to New York and I stayed back in Northern California.
When I finally decided to make the leap and move back east for the second time in my relatively young life he moved back to California. For years, he zigged when I zagged. We crisscrossed the country and along the way developed a talent for missing one another.
Spending time together became such a rarity that any chance to meet up, even if briefly, became almost sacrosanct.
Yesterday, he and I decided to meet up with our other close friend, Billy. The three of us took a table by the window of a popular breakfast house nestled in a now trendy part of town.
We talked about the past, future, and everything in-between.
As I get older, I'm always reminded of two things when spending time with close friends:
1. How important it is
2. How much time I spend alone
The truth is, most of my endeavors have lent itself to a consummate sense of solitude. Whether as an actor, writer, or entrepreneur all paths are remarkably solo endeavors.
As a result, it's easy to fall into a rhythm, or worse a sense of comfort in such isolation. The greater danger is how the seemingly infinite ways to contact our friends and family can make it seem like we're actually connecting.
Making the extra effort to meet a friend for a meal, a walk, or a cup of coffee at least twice a week will do wonders for your morale, sense of gratitude and community, and even your productivity.
Even better, you'll be less likely to look back on your life one day wishing you'd spent more time with the people that meant the most to you.
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