Out of sight, out of mind?

I read an article a while ago, describing our society as "a canceling culture;" living with an understanding that it is okay to cancel appointments last minute. The article describes the comfortable guilt, we as a society, possess in conveying empty, joyous words of re-acquainting, and how at times upon cancelling an appointment we feel somewhat victorious having “cheated” in winning some “lost” time back. This is one of the reasons why I abhor chitchat. That moment of awkwardness when the forgetful banter is on its’ last breath and someone always ends up dropping in an obligatory “we should meet up some time,” whilst both parties know of the truth that lies in those words, or the lack of truth that is. I hate empty words and obligatory politeness. Why bother?

Recently a girlfriend of mine kindly decided to take on the trying mission of organizing a mini re-union with our group from high school, the majority we have not really seen since those uniformed days long ago. Of the dozen or so friends that we called our girls most had confirmed their excitement to the forth-coming re-union yet only three turned up. I know we are all super busy and super important these days building an empire, making the millions and raising our six children but when did we reach a point where we simply did not have the time to care?

From spending almost everyday of our adolescent lives together, laughing together, eating together, fighting together, learning and growing together we could not have afforded one planned evening with those that were once our lives. Nine years have passed, nine years filled with marriages, engagements, children, travels, graduations, careers and promotions, a whole load of tears and a whole load of joys but Facebook and the grapevine these days is enough to fill our failing need to know what is going on in an old friends life.

Needless to say that I could not attend but it really saddened me to think that all those that cancelled, at the end of the day, just couldn’t be bothered. We are all so self obsessed. There have been numerous times where an appointment fills me with a sudden bout of extreme laziness, but every time without fail I return from the evening with a smile on my face having had the best time, and thinking to myself that I should meet up with that person more often. We tend to feel uncomfortable in straying from routine and become content with the people that we already happily surround ourselves with on a daily basis, but what harm can come of doing something different for a change? I don’t believe that anyone can be too busy for a friend, be it an old friend, a lost friend, a distant friend or your best friend, and I'd like to hope that when I return to Sydney, people will be able to afford the time to see me once again.