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Vicky's avatar

15 years ago I moved back to the area I'd grew up in and bumped into someone I knew in the supermarket. I excitedly said hello then ran off as I was, as usual, in the middle of a manic work project. I was pleased to see him though and had him in the back of my mind as a "must reconnect properly". Then I moved abroad and about a year or so after that a friend told me he'd taken his life. Of course I felt wracked with guilt, a million pointless questions rattling round.

All that to say, pre social media it was possible to have these complicated moments. But I agree with everything you've written. I deleted my FB and started a new one just for local info and other use (making appointments at hairdressers, etc), but I'm realising people used to announce births, deaths & marriages in newspapers and we've all mindlessly and thoughtlessly let that go - yes there are the oversharers but what about the rest of us...?

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Gillian Wallace's avatar

So painfully true. This could easily happen to me and yeah, now I'm going off to write a host of emails. Thanks

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