Quantum Friendship

This spring seems to be a time of reunions. We were able to see Carl in Stockholm a few weeks back, just the other weekend Abe took us around Kosovo, and this past weekend, I was able to meet up with Natalie in Cologne.

It was great to spend time with Abe and get to know his wife, Emma, all while experiencing a new country. And of course a visit with Carl was long overdue with conversations seemingly starting immediately where we had last left off. However meeting up with Natalie was a bit different, in that we still don’t know when we last saw each other. Best estimates are somewhere between a bajillion and a hojillian years ago.

I won’t rehash any of my warmed-over philosophizing on the tired cliché of time flying, since I already did that. A couple of times. However the Saturday Natalie and I spent drinking astounding volumes or Kölsch and walking along the river in Cologne supports my past observations on reunions with old friends: conversation resumes as though no time has past. Friendship seems to be a bit like quantum entanglement: two friends can be separated by any amount of time (rather than space) and still be connected. 

As we enjoyed eating, drinking, reminiscing, and of course catching up on so many years I was grateful that she should be in Cologne on work, where we could meet up. But as the day wore on and our conversation showed no signs of letting up, my gratitude shifted to that connection of friendship seemingly unaffected by time.

We agreed that we should get together again and it should be sooner than another hojillian years. We will try to make it sooner rather than later, but whenever it is, I am thankful that the connection will still be there.