Editorial
Front Page - Friday, November 20, 2009
View from the Cheap Seats
Just say it
Bill James
How many people are there that you need to say something to? As we fall head first into the holiday season, it seems that our relationships with others often become magnified. We spend time with those we are close to and often continue to ignore those with which we have grown apart.
The lack of contact between old friends and family often creates an even greater divide. Whether we are hurt by the snubbing of others or just find it easier to ignore a relationship, the longer we go without talking to someone, absence sometimes fails to make the heart grow fonder.
The problem is that we are here for a limited amount of time; and as we get older, more and more of us will be gone. Missed opportunities to reach out and touch those that we care about can turn into last chances in the blink of an eye. I also find that, as I grow older, I find it less and less necessary to reach out and meet new people or to keep in touch with those that I am not in regular contact with.
Actually, “necessary” is not the right word. It is just easier to live in my little old world. Of course, easy is not always the best way to live. Failure to reach out to new relationships, in addition to the refusal to keep old relationships alive, is a sure-fire way of ending up on the road to being alone. You may not end up there, but why take the chance?
Use this holiday season as an opportunity, even an excuse, to reach out to those that you know and love. Don’t stop there. Reach out to those you have become estranged from and make contact. Don’t let the new year start without repairing and rekindling relationships that have faltered. If nothing else, tell them you care and wish them well.
As you read this, you may be thinking that is exactly what you do every year when you send out all those cards. It is a great start, but how many people do you send cards to that you have, in reality, lost contact with?
While I speak in broad terms and seem to promote what could be an overwhelming project for an already busy holiday season, just think if you really renewed a friendship or repaired a relationship with just ten people. An improved relationship with just ten family or friends, or even just one, could do wonders for the start of a new year. Who
couldn’t use a little help from their friends?
I plan on overeating and enjoying time with family and friends next week. Happy Thanksgiving from the CHEAP SEATS!
Share
|