Are you in a long-distance relationship? Find out what Kate and Henry do. Read how Ryan’s inspirational quotes bite the dust and also about a lunch meet that was more of a party! Hop in…

Kate and her longtime boyfriend Henry have been off our radar for some time now. There are reasons for that, of course. I remember Kate telling me that they had a sort of split and were not seeing each other anymore. The geographical distance was proving to be too much of a bother for the young lovers. “I’m getting tired of these virtual dates,” Kate told me once. However, somewhere down the line, the couple realized that there was more in their virtual relationship than any other bond they have had.

Finally they decided to hit it off again. Kate is now all praise for digital technology that keeps us connected despite the miles in between. It’s true that Kate would love either of them to move in so that they can be together. But as long as that is not on the horizon, Kate and Henry feel that they must not make their relationship bitter over what is not there. “We’d rather thank for what we have with us and send across a smile,” Kate said, “and that change in perspective can be a very liberating one.”

You cannot avoid them! There are so many of them coming your way every single day. Whether you are at home, at work, on the way or just casually walking down, you are darted with questions that don’t make any sense. The worst part is, you are expected to answer them! Call a customer care service and they will ask you things that have nothing to do with what your problem is. But stupid questions come back, much like karma! Here’s how.

Adrian takes the cake when it comes to asking stupid questions. Over the years I have come across some real no-brainers that drove people up the wall. But he got it all back in one clean hit! His phone died recently. He dialed customer care. After some passing-the-buck game that tested his patience to the last bit, the call was handed to a technician. The technician actually asked him, “Can you find ‘Settings’ on the ‘Menu’?” Adrian was dumb for a long second and then blasted out, “My phone is dead, you…!”

If you are in our newsletters loop, you will know that for some time Ryan is offering quick fixes to our motivational issues at work. His fixes have more loopholes than in a sieve, but Ryan is relentless pursuing his objective to draft in more members for this inspirational club that he is a member of. Ryan wants to prove that the club is doing wonders for his own messed-up life. He is imparting his wisdom among us lesser mortals, like you would sow precious seeds among the weeds.

Ryan has a new three-prong approach to solve problems. He wants one to have honesty in action. “Do what you think,” Ryan urged us at lunch. Donna smirked, “He forgot to add: but don’t get fired!” This made Ryan pull up his shoulders and move on. “Be clear in your mind,” was his next shot. This time Steve quipped, “So don’t be like Ryan!” Finding nowhere to duck, Ryan tried his final one, “Be compassionate!” I spoke up this time, “Listen to your advice. Spare us!”

I met up with my school pals the other day. We had decided to meet at a place close to where I work. It was a lunch meet, except that you couldn’t have guessed by our table that we were eating together! It was like a weekend party wrapped up in a table on a Monday afternoon! There were four of us, celebrating the fact that we were still in touch with each other. These get together dos are more like annual events, but when they come around, you feel like having one every week!

I have noted that whenever you are meeting people from the early days of your life, you show more interest in the past than in the present. We talked about those teenage days when we were awfully short of senses. What seemed embarrassing then, gives you a good laugh now. It is also amazing how your teenage friends remember little things about you that you forgot long back. Old friends are like milestones that help you map your life together.

Here’s a C. S. Lewis quote for my friends all over the world: “Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival.”