From the archive

Your friends love you. As long as you stay the same

You no longer turn up to every gathering. You don't participate in the familiar ritual. You don't want a third hour discussing the same boss. There's a course, an interview, a new group, someone the others don't know yet. “You're getting full of yourself.” “You used to be more easygoing.” “Are we not interesting enough for you anymore?” Sometimes ordinary sadness hides behind those words. You're around less, they miss you, nobody knows what this means for the friendship. You can talk about that.