My close friends are scattered around the world and when we see each other, I can't help but wonder if it's the last time I'll see them. I don't mean this in a morbid way-- I don't think automatically that it means, "one of us may die before we meet again" but sometimes you just end up never seeing a person again, no matter how close you were.

One thing that I don't think people talk about much when talking about friendships is the role of proximity. Even the way it's expressed, denotes proximity of place, "my closest friends," "near and dear," "those that stand by you," etc.

Anyway, when we do meet, I do my best to stay in the moment and to resist the urge to relive the things we did together in the past. Sometimes it feels like the present is something we're escaping by enjoying each other's company, as if somehow we can suspend time and be the people we were.

This thing you're talking about is one of a few reasons why I don't take many pictures anymore. I like to remember things according to my impressions, as imperfect and vulnerable to time as it may be. Without that personal context, the pictures don't mean much, if anything. Because I choose to do things in this way, I also try to move on from things fairly quickly and to resolve not to go back to try to recreate things for myself.