Talking, Not Doing

'Tis the season to gather with old friends and family and reminisce about the "good old days." It's a lot of fun to laugh with and remind one another about past adventures and shenanigans, and also to pass the stories onto those who may not have been around at the time the event actually happened.

But in the last year or so, as much as I relish savoring these moments with friends, it's become relatively unsettling at the same time. I don't know what changed around (or in) me to bring on this new mindset, but I can recall standing around with my buddies and wondering to myself if this is all there would be. Will we continue to marvel at the same stories every time we get together?

Not that there's anything wrong with that, but why aren't we out there doing things, giving us more material to talk about in the future?

For instance, every time I get together with my good friend Todd in Indiana we enjoy talking about growing up together, working together, the time Doug dropped a beam on Sax and Sax cussed him out, the time Dad smacked Charlie's pipe out of his mouth, the time we were on TV....but I can't help but thinking "Is this it? Aren't there going to be any new stories?"

Is it just me, or do you find yourself guilty of the same thing? It's almost like, at some point, we decide we're good with the memories we have and stop trying to make new ones. I don't know about you, but I'm not done yet. I want to keep at it. Sure, people grow up and have families, careers come calling, and people move away. But that doesn't mean we should stop enjoying being with each other...or at least trying. 

Does it?

May your 2008 be filled with opportunities for new memories.