Change Of Address Announcements

The change of address announcements came this morning. “We've moved”, I read from the bubbly, green and gold print, sprawled obnoxiously across the page. “Check out our new digs.” New Digs? Good grief. They probably ordered the change of address announcements from some place online for those too uninspired or clueless to just design and print out their own. No, I'm not bitter. Why do you ask?

I looked down the change of address announcements to the bottom. There was a rotund, infantile Idaho with some little town of something or other popping out, and an address with “our new happy home” printed right above it. I resisted the temptation to throw the change of address announcement right out into the trash right then.

I had said good riddance months ago, but the change of address announcements got me thinking again. It was weird – I had been friends with both Joe and Susie for years – our whole group had stuck together since college. We had even gone into business together making the best darned pancakes in town, and yet, since they got together, they had been nothing but trouble for everyone. The cheery print of the change of address announcements belied the fact that they hadn't been in touch with any of us for practically six months. Not since that party.

It is important to treasure your friends, to be close to your friends, and yes things do sometimes happen. There are moments when friends get too close. Looking at the happy change of address announcements, you would think that it was no big deal to them as it had been no big deal to everyone. We had all been over at their house, drinking booze, having a fine time, reminiscing, when someone got the drunken idea to play some kissing games like in the old days.

Well one thing led to another – it was no ones fault, and we were all prepared to write it off as too much to drink. But when we tried to talk to them, both Joe and Susie said they didn't want anything to do with any of us anymore, and started lashing out and spreading rumors for what was, to everyone else, no big deal. Maybe the change of address announcements were their attempt to make amends, to tell their friends that there were no hard feelings and that everything was alright, but since they never actually talked it out with us, it is hard to believe that that is really the case.