Sentimental Attachment in My Musings

We have this tendency to hold on even if there’s no longer an actual purpose to do so - whether it may be a person, relationship, belief, or material object. We try to salvage whatever we can, thinking it would be a shame to entirely let go. Is it a matter of sunk-cost fallacy, sentimentality kicking in, or both?

The previous week, I was contemplating about an old buddy of mine. We were classmates in 4th grade, but only became really good friends in 2nd year high school. It turned out that he started playing tennis (my favorite sport) and was really good at it too. We were talking about tennis everyday and competed often; we were rivals somehow.

We kept in touch often even when he and his family moved around June (or July) of 2004 overseas. I was a university freshman then, and having only a limited circle of friends, his departure was really felt. Each time he went home for a visit, we made it a point to hang out and really catch up - talking for hours on end over good food and in the company of other friends.

Something has changed in the past few years, however. I can’t put a finger on it - maybe it’s the busyness of work (and life), a change in outlook/priorities, the pandemic, or perhaps a combination of any and/or all of these? Our conversations have gotten far and few between, and some mannerisms are now making me annoyed. It would not be a stretch for me to say that while I still look forward to catching up, it’s no longer with the same excitement as before.

And the question is raised once again. Of course I can talk to my buddy and let him know how I feel - maybe it’s something that can be patched. Or maybe not. At this point, only time can tell. We go a long way back and losing another long-time friend in the process just seems sad, even if maintaining the friendship is equally as exhausting.