Eh. Honestly, the friends I've stayed in contact with over many decades...well, I've stayed in contact with them for a good reason. When I've reconnected with old friends after many years apart, unfortunately it has turned out badly. Mostly because politics entered into the conversation and, yeah....not good.

Then there are a couple of friends who I truly care about, but they want to be in contact several times per week. I'm not a phone person and these friends are phone people who live thousands of miles from me. I'm fine with talking to them, say, once every 3 months. But what has tended to happen is that they call me about 8 times every month. I usually don't answer, but then I feel bad. When I DO answer...well...they are looking to unload on me with all their problems and issues. They need a therapist, not me. When I try to talk about myself, they just turn it into something about themselves.

There are times when I kind of wish we hadn't reconnected...or that we just touched base around the holidays.