Over the past few weeks I’ve been trying to reconnect with some long-lost friends. A couple of them deserve an apology. A few others, I’ve just missed. I had lunch with one of the latter today.

I haven’t seen Rich in almost 25 years. Back then, he had a flame-red mohawk. He also had a wry wit and keen mind and a quiet way of speaking. He was one of my favorite people. And yet, inexplicably, we lost touch.

The same is true of my dear friend Jef. In high school, we were members of a theater troupe of sorts. We bonded over several cross-country drives and over an “epic” tour of Europe. He was an articulate speaker and a wonderful listener. And yet, inexplicably, we lost touch.

Thank God for the Internet.

I was thrilled last week to hear Jef’s voice and to learn that he’s now a successful theater director. And I was amazed this afternoon to discover that Rick is now an architect—and a proud father.

During my drive home tonight, I was struck by how much my and my friends’ lives have changed. But I was also struck by how little we’ve actually changed: We’re still the same people at our core. And 25 years later, we’re picking up our friendships exactly where we left off.

With one exception: This time, I’ll stay in touch.