closing the gaps

they're coming out of the woodwork.

ever since i joined facebook a few weeks ago, people i haven't seen or spoken to in ages are finding their way back into close orbit. they've popped up online, on the phone, and now, in the flesh in my living room.

i like it.

it's like some gravitational nexus of people and places past has achieved critical mass in the here and now. or like someone shook up a big ol' snow globe filled with time, and the past is falling all around me.

even my dreams are filling up with folks who have been important to me at some time or another. it's a crazy, subconscious carousel at night, and a welcome-back wagon during the day.

but wait. there's more.

this trip through the way-back machine must've churned up some powerful, positive karma. there's no other way to explain the presence of dave, and his 18-month old son, in our very house.

our friendship spanned three states, four time zones, two companies, and a decade-long interruption. i tried to track him down over the years, and he tried to do the same -- to no avail. every now and then i'd google him, just to see if anything new turned up. it never did.

but last week, amidst a days-long firestorm storm at work...i went browsing through a magazine for ideas. or inspiration. or refuge. the publication was filled with riotous photography and uproarious copy and brilliant design. and amidst all that was a quietly elegant, beautifully simple bottle of whisky.

usually i see something like that, appreciate it for half a moment, then move on. this time, for no reason at all, i scanned over to see who created this little jewel of a design...and there he was. "designer/creative director: dave."

i jolted upright in my chair. i checked the print date of the magazine, sure it must be well out of date, and dave would've long since moved on. november, 2008.

i googled the design firm...he wasn't in the list of bios. must be gone by now. i called the number, sure i'd hear, "dave's no longer with the company." have i mentioned that the advertising and design business is notorious for turnover? yeah...

"hi, is dave in?"
"he's not at his desk, would you like his voicemail?"
[pause]
"yes, i'd like that very much."
"hi, this is dave. leave a message."

same voice. same dave. i left a giddy message. minutes later, he called me back. it was as if no time had passed. he'd been living in seattle for years.

two days later, we were drinking beer while our children played around us. turns out we even know some of the same people here. all we could do was shake our heads and smile, and say "unbelievable".

another friend, the one who goaded me to get on facebook, is now taunting me. "you like facebook, don't you. ha ha, you like facebook. you should marry facebook."

he's very funny. isn't he funny? i don't love facebook, mister funny man. okay?

but i do love my friends. and now, after much moving around and much time gone by...i have some of them back again.

what's not to love?