He thought, she thought

I'm a gregarious fellow, so I guess you might say I had my share of friends and acquaintances at work before my glorious retirement, and not that many people turned on their heels and ran the other way at the sight of me lumbering down the hall.  I still consider my work family to be like a family, except that they have more birthdays.

One person who was always a special friend was someone with whom I kept in fairly close phone-and-text touch after I left.  She had gone to work someplace else by then, and we made vague plans to meet up for lunch someday. 
Meanwhile, we texted and chattered until last fall.  I called right after Labor Day, and she said she'd have to call me back; something was up and she couldn't talk. And then a couple of days later, same deal, and a couple of days after that, yet again she said she'd have to call me when she got a minute, and then that minute never arrived.

I tried to noodle it out, thought about anything I might have said to offend her and things of that nature, and came up with nothing.  (For once.) I figured I'd hear something when the time was good for her, so I went back to my hectic busy schedule of watching morning news shows, writing this blog (there's five minutes a day shot to hell right there!) and calling rightwing talk shows, hollering, "Baba Booey!  Baba Booey!" and hanging up, along with my other varied, worthwhile pursuits.  

Then, last Friday, I had to look up a number on the cell phone.  I got past the "D" section, which is populated heavily with Doctors of many disciplines, dedicated medical professionals who work on things from my feet to my choppers to my eyes (Dr Melissa Connolly!  Call me for her number if you don't see perfectly!) and, of course, my surgically-repaired back and knee.  When I got a couple letters further, I came upon my friend in the phone listings,  and you know what, I said right there and then,  I was going to call to find out what happened to us being friends and all.

It turned out she lost her job in September.  And she was embarrassed, and did not want to tell anyone. 

And because I thought she was too busy or whatever to let me know, all these months have gone by and she is still down about it all. 

Pick up the phone and make that call!

I can totally understand what happened on her job.  She is such an excellent worker - and dedicated - that she would sometimes call from her office at 8 PM, having been in the office since dawn broke. But something went haywire on the new position, and her new boss arbitrarily cut her adrift on the icy sea of unemployment.

It's not too late; I can stay in touch now and offer support, encouragement,  and my patented mix of inappropriate jokes and unsuitable comments, but I'll always regret losing four months' time and all those chances to have helped.   Why wait when there's a chance a friend is in need? Next time, I won't wait around.