Which long-lost friend will you contact today?

I was so excited when my alma mater invited me to a reception here in Dubai. About 7,732 km away from my old campus, I’m looking forward to seeing some of my old lectures and hopefully also one or 2 of my class mates tonight. Contacting a long-lost friend is on my list for 2017.

And it’s not as difficult as you may think!

Especially in a transient and active region as this one, we can easily lose contact with friends. There’s so much do after work, the weekends are precious and fill up so quickly. It’s easy to reduce the contact with friends and eventually, it’s maybe once or twice a year. Around a birthday, maybe Eid or Christmas and then, radio silence.

The longer we seem to wait, the harder getting in touch feels. “Why haven’t you called sooner?” The guilty conscience tells us it’s better to wait a bit longer, a bit more, well, now it’s almost too late to get in touch. What would they think of me?

Send a short “Hello!”

Getting in touch doesn’t mean you’ll need to send them a 10-page-long report on how your life developed since you’ve last spoken to each other. You can start with a simple “Hello! I was thinking of you a lot and am finally sending you a note. How have you been? Would you like to meet or chat over the phone?”

Find them on social media

Wait a second, you may now say. How can I send them a message if I don’t know their number? Good point. As friends move away, their phone number may be deactivated. You may find them by sending them an email or looking them up on Facebook, LinkedIn or a local equivalent like Xing or Twitter.

Search networking sites

There’s a number of website looking to re-connect old school or university mates, colleagues and friends. Depending where your friend is from, they may be listed on sites like Classmates.com or Batchmates.com.

Contact their permanent home

Many expats here have a permanent home address. This may be their old home or the house of a relative. Parents seem to never get away from their kids’ mail or stuff (more about that in another blog post). In many countries, you can find phone numbers and addresses through the local phone book available online. You may want to call one of these numbers, enquire this is the right relative and let them pass on the message, if they don’t want to give out your friend’s contact details. Given the importance of data privacy, some folks may not share an email address or phone number if they’ve never heard of you.

Enlist your joint network

We often share a circle of friends. Even if you lost your address book or got a new phone with hardly any contacts, one of your friends probably has the contact details. Ask in your circle of friends for the contact details. You’d be surprised how valuable this group can be!

It’s time for me to get ready. Do you have the contact details of your friend? Yes, fab! Who are you going to contact today?

Until next time,
Agni