I Miss the Memories, Not the Reunion
There was a time in my life when I really felt it would be cool to meet up with my childhood friends and some of the people from my past. However, as I grew older, I realized that things would never be the same, and it is better to let things go than to try to ignite a spark that died long ago.
The first set of friends I knew were my three childhood friends. We were all the same age, with just a difference of a few months, and we lived in the same compound. I remember their names, but not their faces. So, if I see them today, I will not recognize them. Literally, I do not even know them anymore. I am just holding on to the memory that we were born in the same compound and spent some time together as children. Not that we really grew up together, because I left when I was about four years old. I am sure they are different people now, and perhaps I am the only one still holding on to the old memories of us being childhood friends.
When I was in primary school, I did not have a best friend, but I was closer to some of my classmates. One was my seatmate, a very brilliant student. In fact, he was the best in our class. I still remember his name and face, but will he remember me? We had some chemistry back then, but we were just little children.
Then there was this boy in my neighbourhood who also attended the same primary school. We were friends in the neighbourhood, and we used to visit each other's houses. I went home this year, and we saw each other. It was just greetings, with nothing much to discuss. He escorted me to the park on my way back, and that was it. No butterflies or anything like that.
My secondary school days were not that good. I was very playful and skinny, and my classmates often found reasons to make fun of me. I would laugh it off while they did so. Why did I laugh? Maybe I genuinely saw them as my friends. Maybe they also saw me as a friend, and making fun of me was just their way of having fun.
It got to the point where our geography teacher noticed that they were making fun of me. One day, he said something along the lines of, "I hope you all know that he could become a great person in the future. He could even become the president of our country."
Almost the whole class laughed, and even I smiled at his words. But then, his words were right. Although I do not want to become president, I am no longer that boy they used to make fun of. I have changed, and I will not tolerate bad remarks from anyone, not even when they are disguised as jokes.
I see similar things happening to younger people, and I simply observe. If someone in that situation happens to get close to me, I advise them never to allow others to make fun of them. If those people do not understand that what they are doing is wrong, make them understand.
Now, when it comes to reuniting with these people, what exactly am I going to do there? I believe they still remember all the jokes they made about me, but will they still be able to make those same jokes today?
I am not even in support of reunions because people can suddenly start hating you for being okay or for doing better than them. We also have people whose only purpose at reunions is to show off. It is no longer about honouring the past but about checking everyone's present status.
My best friend in 2011 and I no longer talk. It is not that we fought. I used to call him on his birthday, but I eventually stopped because it was only on his birthday that we talked. After that day, we would not speak again until the following year. Distance limited the vibes we once shared.
Even my best friend who is a girl, who is now married, and I talk and chat less these days. She is married, and not every man would be comfortable with his wife having a male best friend. I understand that. In the end, we are left with the family we create, which is one reason it is important to build our own family. There will be days when friendships drift away, and the family we build becomes an important part of our lives.
A reunion is a no for me. I believe things can never be the same as they were in the old days. The people I can agree to reunite with are those I know now, people who are still in my life and with whom I still communicate, even if it is only online.
But when it comes to my primary school, secondary school, teenage years, and other friendships from the distant past, where we have lost contact or stopped communicating, my answer is no.
I am stuck with all the old memories. If I find someone like me who is also holding on to those beautiful memories, I will definitely meet up with them. However, that is not a reunion involving many people. It is a personal reunion with people who genuinely cherish the old friendships we once shared.
Just call me Burl.
I am a professional gamer, motivational speaker and a crypto enthusiast
Discord: burlarj
Twitter id: burlarj1
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God exists, I am a living testimony
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