Keep in Touch

There are plenty of negative things that can be said about social media, but there's also a ton of positive things that can be said as well. Using social media for cyber-bullying or to facilitate sex trafficking makes me physically ill, and every time I read about a young teen who commits suicide as a result of being publicly humiliated on various social channels, it makes me want to go off the grid for the rest of my life. I wish there was a way to eliminate all of the bad things that can accompany social media and keep only the good things. Good things like getting friend requests from people I went to high school with or receiving tweets with photos of folks I haven't seen in decades or keeping up on what's going on in the lives of people I may not see very often. While I will always remain unwavering in my belief that nothing should ever take the place for face-to-face interaction and communication, I am also grateful for the way technology, and social media in particular, allows me to keep in touch with the people whom I might otherwise lose contact with.

One of the best things about working in the advertising industry is that the business by its very nature attracts a lot of younger folks. One of the worst things about working in the advertising industry is that those younger folks tend to move on to other agencies as they advance in their careers. And when I say "worst things," I mean worst in the sense that I'm not the greatest when it comes to saying goodbye, especially when those goodbyes come with the knowledge that I may well never see or hear from the person again. There are always the invariable, "I'll definitely keep in touch," words uttered, usually followed up with the customary, "We'll do lunch soon!" I've been around long enough to know that more often than not, the truth is that those words, while spoken in earnest at the time of someone's departure, are merely that ... words. We all know that words without action are ... well ... they're just words. I, however, have been very fortunate over the years to have more than a few of those young folks who said they'll keep in touch actually do so. And I've gotta tell you, friends, it's a special feeling for me when they do ... when those kids reach out to an old gal like me and say, "I miss you, Terrie ... can we meet for lunch next week?" 

Over the last few months, several of the young people I've worked with in the past have contacted me, and I've been blessed to be able to meet up with each of them for lunch. One showed up with a big old pregnant belly, and I was just tickled pink as she talked about her little one on the way. One shared some very happy news with me that she hadn't shared with anyone outside of her family. One excitedly told me how he had just proposed to his girlfriend the week before. One showed me photos and videos of his new dog, and asked if we could arrange a play date soon between his Bridger and my Ollie. Just as each one of those sweet young people are different from one another, so were the stories they shared with me during our time together. But their was one thing that was exactly the same the moment we said hello and the moment we said goodbye ... the hugs. Every single one of those kids hugged the starch out of me. Their hugs from those young people had me blinking back the tears ... their hugs made me feel loved and valued ... their hugs said more to me than a million words ever could. Their hugs gave all new meaning and importance to the words, "Keep in touch."

It wasn't until I arrived home on Wednesday evening that the emotion and exhaustion from being in an accident that morning on my way to work finally washed through me. Like he does each evening when I get home, Ollie came running to the door the minute he heard me open it and quickly jumped into my arms. As I stood there holding his squirming little body as he tried his best to lick my face, I said, "Buddy ... tonight I wish you had arms instead of paws so you could hug me." And as I watched my little wiener dog run through the yard, ears flapping in the wind and tail wagging as fast as it possibly could, tears filled my eyes as I whispered those words again ... "Tonight I sure do wish you had arms instead of paws, wiener boy ... I wish you had arms so you could hug me." The phrase "You don't realize what you have until it's gone" bounced around in my brain a lot that evening ... actually, it's been bouncing around in my brain ever since. Were it not for my friend Yosef who hugs me every time he sees me, there are many weeks now when I don't feel the touch of another human being. Which means I'm screwed if you believe what doctors and scientists say about the need every human has for a certain number of hugs each day to maintain one's emotional and mental well-being. I've come to accept that being hugless is just part of living alone, but there are some days ... well ... there are some days when I wish my little wiener dog had arms instead of paws. 

Keep in touch, friends ... give a hug or two to someone this week, and keep in touch.