Friendships come and go throughout our lives, but some people stay in our thoughts for many years. In the hustle and bustle and stress of daily life, we often lose touch with people we once held near and dear. But now that you’re retired, this may be the time to resume some of those meaningful relationships. Whether it’s a high school friend, a former neighbor or a colleague from earlier in your professional life, if you would like to reconnect with a friend, there’s no time like the present.
Here are a few ways you can get back in touch with old pals.
If you aren’t already on Facebook, now may be a good time to sign up. It’s a great place to connect with old and new friends, and extended family, too. And once you connect with someone on Facebook, you may see that person is also connected to other people you know.
People with common names can be harder to find as a search may turn up many possibilities. If your friend has a common name and you can’t figure out which one is the right one, try searching for groups with which you and your friend would have a common interest. For example, there are Facebook pages for neighborhoods and high school graduating classes. You can request to join these groups and then see who the members are, perhaps reconnecting you with long-lost high school pals.
If you’d like more assistance setting up and using Facebook, this tutorial can help you get started.
Note: If you choose to delve into the world of social media, please take time to educate yourself on these Facebook scams you will want to avoid.
High School Reunions
High school reunions are an opportunity to see people with whom you may not have crossed paths in decades. It’s a great way to catch up and reconnect with your old friends and others who may have information about other friends not in attendance.
If you live far from the event, be sure to begin planning in advance. Using services like the car service Uber, and Airbnb (a service that allows you to rent a room or whole house from private individuals), may make it more affordable.
Alumni Associations
If there aren’t any high school reunions on the horizon or you’d rather not attend, alumni associations are another great way to connect with former peers. Most colleges and universities have alumni groups, as do associations such as the Fulbright Association. If you have a hard time locating the alumni association, contact your alma mater for more details.
LinkedIn is a professional social media platform connecting members from around the world—but you don’t have to be a current professional to use this site. Simply create a profile, then you can enter a person’s name into the search bar to locate their profile. Once you find your old friend, you can send an invitation to connect.
The “Old-Fashioned” Telephone
You may not get phone books delivered to your door anymore, but the electronic version may be even easier. And a big advantage to looking for phone numbers online is you’re not limited to your town or city’s phone book. Visit the White Pages or 411.com and type in your friend’s name.
If there are people you would like to reconnect with—don’t wait. Life is too short and friends with whom you have history can give you hours of fun and reminiscing. Whether you reconnect just to chat a few times a year, a long in-person visit or meet up for weekly activities is up to you, but why not reach out and see what—and who—you can find.
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