Reconnection: The First Message

How did it start?  On a warm summer Wednesday afternoon during a crazy week at work, I got home after a long day, and settled down at my desk to read a bunch of personal emails on my laptop in air-conditioned comfort with a big glass of water.  I had just taken a sip when I saw a message from Classmates.com that said “You got a PRIVATE MESSAGE from Phil Xxxxx.”  I sprayed water all over my keyboard!  


Are you listed on that site?  Classmates.com tries to be a social network, listing the people from your class in high school who sign up, but it doesn’t get on most people’s radar.  They send a lot of email but you can’t get to the good stuff without buying a GOLD MEMBERSHIP.   I’ve managed to resist.  I had fun in high school but I moved away to college and moved on.  My Facebook is locked down so I don’t have to hear from them.  I keep in touch with my best friend via email, and the rest?  Eh.  But this message said I could read without paying, which meant the guy paid to write to me.  And he had gone beyond the usual channels to find out more about me.  No one else had tried to get in touch.  Why him?  Why now after 30-something years?


I wracked my brain trying to remember something about this guy.  There weren’t any memories left, just a few odd facts.  
  • He was my first love.  
  • He went to my church.  
  • We dated very briefly in the 1970’s when I was a freshman and he was a junior, which in those days amounted to holding hands in the hallway and stealing a few kisses in a dark corner at a dance.  
  • He broke my heart when he dumped me with the “let’s be friends” line. 
What could it hurt to read the message?  Curiosity won and I clicked the link.
From:
Phil Xxxxx (view profile)
To:
Sassy Girl
Sent:
August 18, 2010 08:28:29 AM
Subject:
Hi, from Phil!
Hey, how have you been?  Hope life has treated you well.  Living in DC now, still in the military and enjoying it.  I get to the old home town several times a year.  Still many great memories.
Hmmmm… that was anti-climactic.  But he seems harmless enough.  Should I answer? 



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