Reminiscing

You ever wonder whatever happened to all the people you knew growing up? You meet a lot of people as you wind your way through life, and some get to be close friends, people you think you'll always have an association with. You know, the people without whom your life seemed incomplete. It's true at every stage of life; there's close friends in grade school, in high school, in college, in careers. In life. But the passage of time tends to fade them out of existence. At least out of your sphere of existence. Where do they all go? What are they up to? What did they turn out to BE like?? Do anyone of them ever wonder about me?

I guess in most cases we'll never know. It's easier today, than it was when I was growing up. Or at least it seems it should be easier. With things such as Facebook, you can look up a lot of people you've forgotten over the years and see what they're up to. Or at least what they look like now. All you have to do is sit at the computer, and CLICK CLICK CLICK. There they are, once again. But they're strangers now. That's assuming of course that they didn't unfriend or block you in Facebookland. Maybe some don't want to be in touch anymore. There's always that I suppose. Back when I was growing up, you exchanged phone numbers when the school year ended, or maybe a mailing address. These were home phone numbers. Cell phones didn't exist. Email didn't exist. But even with things like Facebook today, some people just slide in and out of your life, never to be seen or heard from again.

This is especially true when you work at a school. It's like standing still with a slow but endless conveyor belt that continuously brings new people into your scope of vision. And eventually they pass on. They move on. But you're still there, watching the conveyor belt. It never breaks down. It never stops.

That's life.

Well it's another Monday here at Sac State. Into the heart of October, and fall. It's finally starting to feel like it at least. Temperatures are cooling, rain is flirting with the five-day forecast. Pretty soon it will get to be very busy around here, and I won't have time for such pondering. Just as it's been for the past 17 years here, really. And then December will be here, and then some more people will disappear. And then January, and February, and some new ones will appear. And so on. Not much changes when you think about it.

I wonder what all the people I used to know are up to.