Romancing the Phone

The picture is of a very romantic setting just behind the New York Public Library in Bryant Park.  Some time ago, I decided to treat myself to a romantic dinner... alone.  The meal was delicious and it allowed me the precious opportunity of eavesdropping.  An animated couple sat next to me discussing the plans of a fundraiser and the name George Clooney was uttered among those in attendance.  Only in New York...or L.A. :-)  

I am cleaning my apartment in Bay Shore because next weekend I will be moving to Brooklyn. A sort of sentimentality always hits you when you are moving.  Maybe it's the thought of leaving something behind or the feeling of comfort you developed by being surrounded by familiar places and things.  So in this moment I was reminded of leaving Seattle.    

People speak of the beauty and despite the rain, they are right.  But New York is its own beauty, in different ways.  You think of your surroundings, but most of all, you think of your friends and family.  In truth, it is always a matter of time. They grow up and start their own lives.  So friendships of convenience are tested and only those that truly care about you remain.  This is life.  

So friendships are maintained over the phone.  Some days it seems like this is my only contact with the human race, as I sit reading and writing in my apartment, forgetting there is a world right outside my window.  But through the phone, we stay connected.  Today I was relieved to hear over the phone that my mother and grandfather are both healthy.  There were some concerns.  But even through these calls, our emotions are expressed, our triumphs are told, and our concerns are met with a loving voice and listening ear on the other line.    

Romancing the phone (if you don't get the reference, please see IMDB.com) is sometimes the only way to stay in touch with the ones you love.  And it's the place where you build the deep bonds that we often can't afford in the busyness and chaos of the daily grind.  So wherever you are, don't forget to pick up the phone.  For me, it has become a bit of a salvation.  A way of reaching those that sometimes seem so far away.  And until there is someone special across that table from me, we always have the phone.