I had major breaks in social milieu that could erase or detach friendships when I was 12, 18, in my 20s, and later.

Many people go through such things. Changing schools can do it, especially in a district with multiple high schools. Moving to another neighborhood can do it. Going away to college, especially if it’s out of state but even if it’s Flagship State University, can do it. Joining the military can do it. Taking a new job can do it.

Facebook can be useful if you want to reconnect with some of your old friends who are still alive. But joining Facebook has certain drawbacks as well (specifically, you become their product), and so far I find these drawbacks outweigh the advantages.

I have reconnected with university classmates and professional colleagues via LinkedIn, but that’s more for professional rather than personal stuff.

People have different kinds of life stories. I had major breaks in social milieu that could erase or detach friendships when I was 12, 18, in my 20s, and later. It must be intense for folks who moved every year or two, i.e. , in the military.

But, I have to say, having the same social milieu and therefore, potentially, geographically close contacts for one’s entire life is generally regarded as a full on positive, but I don’t fully buy it. There is a cost to having a sense that one is doing something wrong by, say, following a job by moving out of tow, or changing holiday patterns,etc.

I loved this story! You have a gift for telling a vivid story. It helps that I also learned to sneak to and from school to avoid bullies. There was no smart kids school where I lived so I had to dodge bullies pretty much every day of my young life and to a certain extent to this very day (the Peter Principle pertains).