009: Anjali
36yearsago.com
Vienna 1971—A Student Journal
A year of music, study, travel, sightseeing & friends.
After Vienna
Two Years Later
009 — Anjali
1972–1974 and beyond
TRANSCRIPTION
Written April 28–29, 1974
Ah ha. You thought she was out of the picture? So did I.
After leaving Paris, I assumed that the end was here. After all, our lives were separate. I thought of her a lot and wondered where she was and what she was doing.
So, during the Rotary Convention, I sent her a letter. Not expecting to get an answer—they were supposed to move.
Well, I got a letter back and we started writing again. It was really nice to be in contact with her. She was studying in the Sorbonne and doing well.
I often wish I were rich enough to go and see her. This past Christmas, I sent her a tape of the band and stuff. It was fun to do.
This year, a few weeks ago, Nick Lioy went to Paris and so I asked Nick to drop in on her. He did, and it made everything come much more alive. They met for an evening and talked.
When Nick returned, he told me how charming and pleasant she was, which is true. It really even made me feel happy. She even sent back a cassette tape with some singing and talking on it.
It was great to hear her voice. I really like her a lot and I hope that one day I’ll be able to see her again.
Sometimes I wonder what would happen if we could spend a good deal of time together.
REFLECTIONS
Writing to Anjali. Ok, I’m missing Anjali and thinking about her a lot. Why not write her a letter? Surprise, she writes me back. While we were in Vienna, we also corresponded throughout that year, but this was the start of a new chapter. We were both starting out our new adventures in life—Anjali as a university student at the Sorbonne, and myself as an instrumental music teacher in junior high school. Hmmm. Something lopsided about this picture.
Correspondence. Writing letters to Anjali was a joy and I remember looking forward to reading her letters. We wrote, if I remember correctly, for about four years or so. As before, the letters were totally innocent and we just shared our life stories. Although I may have had a romantic twinge in my heart for her, and she was more realistic being the intelligent woman she is, we became good friends in correspondence. We stopped writing at the time she graduated university, or perhaps when she married Patrick.
If you enjoy writing, corresponding with a friend is a an enjoyable pastime.
Ten years later. I have mentioned that 10 years after Vienna, I wrote her once again (am I insane?) and found her to be now raising a family of at least two boys at the time. I imagine that I was wondering what she was doing. She was doing fine. It could also be that I was going through some life-crises and was looking for some sympathy or support—you know how us men are.
37 years later. And on the last pages of the Vienna journal, I mentioned how I happened to find “the” Anjali on the Internet and we have traded a few emails, catching up and sharing a few life stories. She is still doing fine and is still happily married to Patrick. Now, that’s a great life story in itself.
Facebook. I was on Facebook and LinkedIn for one year with NO friends. Suddenly, I started joining the profiles of colleagues from work and past schools. I have run into a few old friends and it is wonderful to hear what they have been going through in their lives. Sure, there are some tragedies that sadden you but others have done very well.
Facebook is the new correspondence.
Did I tell you that I have entrepreneurial ideas/web products that will compete with Facebook? Yes. Stay tuned. Well, it may be a while—work, time, and money (the same travel obstacles) seem to be omnipresent. I’ll give it a try—one day.
A literary toast: To friends, to family, to stories, to prosperity, to life and health.
John
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