By Brian Nadon

Goodbye, old friends, people I have known for many years…. or fewer than many, but still not a few. Goodbye.

Why? Because it shocks me in this new polarized world of ours to see friends forgetting to grow, falling by the wayside, and some horrified by how I believe change is progress.

In the past few years, I’ve watched a couple long-term friends disengage from my Facebook page. Friends I thought would be with me through thick and thin. One who called himself my biggest supporter. Gone. Poof.

I’ve watched old friends social media feeds as they ignore the issues of the day and post about mundane daily life. Or they post things akin to “there are bad people everywhere, move on, deal with it, get over it.”

That is, of course, their right and privilege. To say, “goodbye or hello.”

I’ve also made choices myself, to leave friendships. Over the decision to continue learning. Or as a personal choice to follow a new path. And over the past year, its given me an opportunity to choose. Who to stand beside and who to let go.

So goodbye old friends. It was lovely while it lasted.

And welcome, new friends! I am thrilled to know so many members of the “Generosity Revolution.” So many caring people who are concerned about making a better world/community for everyone. I am stimulated by the warm, articulate and intelligent posts I see on these new friends’ social media feeds.

Hello, new friends! I look forward to meeting some of you in person one day.

“If evil be said of thee, and if it be true, correct thyself; if it be a lie, laugh at it.” – Epictetus