\n No, no, I really am. Allow me to \u2018splain.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n This topic came from one of my oldest friends, Stephen, who prompted me with, \u201cThe benefits of longstanding friendships, and how to keep those friendships over time and distance–and through a rough patch too.\u201d Now, I\u2019ve mentioned Steve in the past, but I should describe how we met: it\u2019s all my wife\u2019s fault*.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n (I am NOT throwing her under the bus here! Every good thing that has happened to or for me in the last 31 years has largely been due to her. So, Steve becoming my dear friend is all her fault.)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n I was making a career and industry change after having spent about 8 years working in college admissions, first at the college and later at the secondary levels. But the DotCom bubble had burst, and it was time to get into technology!*. My wife suggested I reach out to Steve, because he had also made a pretty significant career change not all that long ago, and she thought he could be helpful to me through his perspective.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n I think the phrase is \u201cBoy! Howdy!\u201d We seemed to click immediately, what with both being a couple of Micks with a gift of the gab.*. It was clear after our first meeting that we\u2019d absolutely enjoy working with each other, which he made possible by adding me to his team of \u201ctelesales\u201d (today we call them BDRs \u2013 Business Development Representatives) after I joined the company as an intern in the Marketing department.*. We proceeded to work together for the next, what @Steve, 4? 5? years.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n We share a sense of humor and appreciation of the absurd that is particular to The Irish American Male Of Certain Generations. We have varied tastes in music and literature that often overlap. We are lousy golfers (speaking strictly for myself!) and love the comradery that this entails. We have shared narrow escapes (\u201cPaging Drs. Murphy, Mahoney, and Hedges! Paging Drs. Murphy, Mahoney, and Hedges!\u201d), New Years celebrations, patio fireside martinis, and watching our children grow and mature (often despite their fathers, it seems).\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n Sounds like a winning formula for a long and warm friendship to me! Except this: I am lousy at keeping in touch. I suspect this is a trait I\u2019ve inherited \u2013 my father rarely ever reached out to his best friends or family. Ask any of my closest friends \u2013 Steve, Sha, Al, Kevin, Joe, any of them \u2013 and they\u2019ll all tell you when asked how good am I at keeping in touch that I am The. Worst.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n So, unless you are as blessed as I am*, follow my example. Except do exactly the opposite:\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n There! \u201cNow, physician, heal thyself!\u201d I hear you, I hear you! I\u2019m off to make a call to Steve. How about you? What do you do to maintain long, and often long-distance friendships?\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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