Far Flung

Today I have conversed, via the internet, with people in different states and even different countries. It seems funny, strange almost to remember the times when these people were close by me, in the same city, same room even. It's bitter sweet to recall good times gone by with someone you haven't seen for some time and who you can't talk to face to face as you were wont to do.
The internet and its swiftness of communication is wonderful, but it doesn't make up for real time spent together, for real things done together. There's more to talk about when you're not typing to a screen but talking to a person. On the other hand sometimes you can say all the things to a screen that you can't to a person...which is not a good basis for anything but an online friendship.
Sometimes if you talk to someone through letter or email or chat long enough, you don't know how to talk to them again when you see them. So it goes.
Those who are close again are far away. Those in distant places are close...er.
a mangled quote: the biggest problem with communication is the assumption that it has taken place. All the words in the world can't make some individuals understand one another, others don't need a single word.
Odd.