Hey! How’s it going? Just want to say that I’m thinking about you. Or more accurately, if we actually know or knew each other, I’m thinking about you. And guess what? They’re good thoughts. If we were more than just a passing acquaintance, I probably tried to think of something we did together or a conversation we had. I can really only think of three or four people towards whom I can’t seem to think good thoughts. And chances are, you are not one of those three or four. Two of them are former bosses/supervisors. One is someone I knew who turned out to be a criminal (like a did time type of criminal), the the fourth is a friend who ended up not being a great friend (and even there the thoughts are mixed).
Of course, it’s not possible to think of every single person who has been in my life…but in the process of writing this, I thought of the different groups and by default, thought of even more people (I’ve had a lot of pauses). Which is why I can say, with confidence, I’m thinking of you.
The kind of neat thing about this, is that I don’t have to follow any social conventions. There are a whole bunch of reasons why we think of people but don’t reach out to tell them….awkwardness, no contact info, it’s been too long, they might reject us, it might cause trouble in some other part of our life or their life… which is a shame. I’m beginning to believe that life’s too short to let social conventions get in the way. It seems too short to not tell people that you think of them or that they’ve mattered or that you’re glad they were a part of your life at some time.
So here, in this space – one in which I’m usually complaining about something or doing my best impersonation of Andy Rooney though with decidedly less humor and wit, and much thinner eyebrows – I can say hello, I’m thinking of you, I’m glad we had or have whatever connection we had or have. And this can be our little secret – a type of silent acknowledgment, writer and reader, sender and receiver, an intimacy of words. Two people who at one time shared some space (a third grade classroom, an office, a kitchen table, a glass of wine)… I’m thinking of you, yes, you… and you are not forgotten.