ReConnect

Getting back to the US, traveling, and going through wedding season has been loads of fun. And it also has been an important time of reconnecting with people.

I've been terrible about "keeping in touch" with people. There are friends I've made who, after a while of not keeping in touch, those relationships just slowly fade - even to the point where I struggle just to remember their name on first glance! I've wrongly assumed that the relationships I have with people will remain and maintain themselves, somehow, automatically.

Even going through my Facebook "friends" is a testament to this. How many FB "friends" do you have on your list, but when looking back, you realize you don't even remember half of them or haven't talked to them in a long time? My aim is not to stay close with every single person I ever meet or be Mr.Popular, but keep in touch with those I've built significant relationships with.

A friend recently told me that "Well, that would make you a typical guy, Joe."

Yea, maybe. But I've decided I'm not giving into that.

Keeping in touch with people is kind of like the way I learned to march in the Marine Corps. On longer marches (can be more than 10 miles at a time), we'd sometimes just get in one long, single-file line and trudge along at a 3mph pace. If one person in that line loses track or starts slowing down, then the whole line starts to fall behind, bunch up, and get stretched out. That's not good, because on a march, we're on a mission. If the line gets too spread apart because Marines are getting too tired or complacent, then when there's a need for the Marines to gather together quickly, it takes more time and effort to do so versus when everyone is keeping the line and formation tight all along the way.

We even have a "ditty" to ensure we're keeping the line well-connected:
The leader will shout: "AT&T!"

Everyone else: "Reach out and touch someone!"
(everyone runs to grab the Marine's shoulder in front of them - sometimes it requires a lot of sprinting to catch up).

The group is always moving forward - it takes hard work to continue on with the mission. The less focus we have in keeping close to each other, the harder we have to work to "catch up".

In the same way, relationships are too important to just sideline - growth isn't automatic! It takes a real mutual effort for relationships to progress. Simply, as people change, the relationship between both parties must change as well. Otherwise, there will be a disconnect that will only get wider and wider with time and neglect.

It's been a great month of "catching up" with family and friends. I am committed to reconnecting with people I've lost touch with and keeping in touch with those I love.