25th April 2020, 13:15 and a Facebook Messenger notification popped up in my browser while I was going some admin on my laptop.
‘Morning! You OK?’
It was not morning in New Zealand, so it had to be someone in the UK.
I smiled. Anyone from there messaging me in the afternoon on a Saturday is probably drunk, given the time difference.
‘Hello! It’s afternoon 
Yeah I’m good thanks. How are you doing?’ I wrote back.
‘Shit day but a friend had a baby which was lovely. How are you? NZ is the envy of the world BTW.’
I chuckled. They were definitely drunk. This was someone I went to school with years ago and we rarely (if ever) had conversed since then.
‘Jacinda for World President.’
‘Haha yes she is ACE. I love her.’
‘Would you be utterly freaked out by a random FaceTime video call? I’m wearing clothes – don’t panic. Fuck off is a perfectly reasonable response.’
I laughed to myself.
‘Haha sure.’ I was making a cup of tea and didn’t have anywhere I needed to be.
I’ve had this a few times. Random messages or calls from people who are a little tipsy and something’s been sparked for them to get in touch. It’s really nice. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been, or who gets in touch, it’s just nice to know someone’s been thinking of you
Dave and I chatted for a while, his sad day and reading something I’d posted online had prompted him to think ‘fuck it’ and say hello. A bit of a ‘life is short’ moment, if you will.
‘Are you drunk?’ I laughed, and he held up a glass to the screen, rattling it around. The brown liquid was some kind of fine whisky, and I told him I expected nothing less. I always think of Dave as very refined, and knowledgeable in liqueurs and flavours, and so totally picture him sat in a leather wingback chair, whisky in hand and his Beagle dog at his feet. I think we laughed about this actually. He works in coffee and seems to know his stuff from what I’ve followed on social media for the past few years.
What a treat to catch up, even in a total random and one-half-drunk conversation. You can follow someone’s life online, and it’s so easy to do that as an observer nowadays, but it’s never the same as speaking to them (whether in message or in person).
Ask the questions, say the things, give the compliments, send the love.
The Paps Life 