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I don’t know where each of you will find yourself reading this, but last night, in a storm ridden drive from Chicago I found myself thinking about people, particularly about people that matter to me.

The idea of people being drawn to each other is certainly not foreign. The Bible acknowledges the need for companionship on the very first pages [!] and now with depression being so prominent in the United States it’s apparent that we [ the 21st century society ] didn’t listen.

Now, having said that I would like to point out that this post is NOT about depression, or any other clinical issue, this post is more of a philosophical approach on how i perceive relationships.

I’m almost certain that everyone can relate to having a friend or someone close move away, or on the contrary, having to leave someone we cared for behind. The feeling of emptiness and the persistent memories of the good [and bad] times rushing back all these are very natural reactions to a somewhat unnatural phenomenon. Why unnatural you ask? My answer is: Globalization.

I believe that globalization is the cause for why now, we have to say goodbye…

See, growing up in a country that up until late 90’s had a very closed minded approach to world and things within it, i have a interesting perspective. Friends didn’t leave town back then and people didn’t move states and most certainly not countries for jobs. The changes that took place with borders coming down, emphasis on financial motivation and rapid advancement in technology seem to be a double edged sword. The increasing temptation of finding financial freedom and the overabundance of means to accomplish that by relocating, makes us leave many important things and more importantly people, unattended and forgotten.

I say this with nostalgia because i know now, the importance of relationships we form and how imperative it is so keep them alive. Partly due to some unfortunate circumstances, but mostly due to my neglect, I haven’t kept up with most of the friends i had growing up back in my country. And now, at twenty three years of age, on another continent, i find it strange to feel as though that part of my life had never happened.

On the upside, the rather obvious [ positive ] changes of Globalization are creating better place to live [ although some may argue ], the technology and industrialization are making most everything within our reach but at the same time these changes that are taking place are unable to make us happy.

Although it might sound cliche, it needs to be said that all the material crap is not something that will matter in the long run. But in today’s America [ especially college age ] we are inundated with images of business successes and extravagant spending; life styles that promote individualism, personal fulfillment and self actualization. However, while those things are not mutually exclusive it seems to me that finding balance in all that is not that easy. There is much to be said for the personal losses that people have to endure to reach some of those so-called "ultimate" goals. But, although it is an interesting topic to discuss, it’s a whole another bag of issues and I’m already getting side tracked from the whole point why i was writing this….

So, relationships… be it romantic or otherwise… I think we [ ME  ] often times underestimate what an important role they play in our personal lives. Due to the fact that we live in a fast paced world we tend to ignore the psychological and focus more on physical [ material ] and as a result we end up unhappy. Throughout the years i have been trying to take some time to pause…, be it spending time with a good friend in downtown of a large city with hundreds of people around, or in some secluded shop over a cup of [ bad ] coffee, or just being lazy on a summer [ or winter ] day… all those moments are incredibly valuable and I’m afraid that much too often that goes unsaid. I always try to remember that whatever it is i am doing at the time, and whomever it is i am doing it with will never be repeated. I mean it’s wild to think that even though we may recreate the place, the situations, we will never recapture the moment itself, and that, makes each moment invaluable.

I like the notion that each of us is an beneficial component of some one’s life. To me, that makes it worth all the drama that relationships can bring at times…  As it is right now, I try to take in every chance i get to spend with the people i love, and, i hope you do the same.

ps : ellen, i miss you already

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