Last night, on the train ride home, I was thinking about Saturday night again, mostly because I have an hour-long train commute on which to dwell on those things I keep myself awake late into the night trying to avoid thinking about. And it made me a little sad, but not for the reason you might think. People don't much like me, and I don't really like people at all, except that I do. I happen to think very highly of a lot of people, even those that I don't particularily like. Nearly everybody I know, I find interesting, unique, special; and I can't wait to introduce them to everybody else I know. Which, a few years ago, was a really hot idea called Friendster. Nowadays, of course, Friendster is old news, everybody hip has got a mySpace, and there's plenty of software with lots of VC money behind it doing what I do, only better. But I can't stop trying to introduce people to other people, because I happen to think that everybody I know is pretty cool, and it would be even cooler if they got together. The fact that when it happens, the people I introduce usually end up being friends and I end up sitting by the phone, is a bit depressing; but in the end I would rather people be happy together even if that means I'm not part of the fun. Which brings me to Saturday night, almost. L. was part of the old high school gang (actually, technically she still is part of the gang, I' m the guy that was part of the gang but is not now.), and I had heard she was doing her residency in Syracuse. But then when I had my mild nightmare two weeks ago, I found out she was in Denver, doing Pediatric Smarty-Pants-Surgery. As it turns out, a college friend of mine, H., is also in Denver, doing a medical technician training, at Children's Hospital; which happens to be the affiliated hospital where L. is at. H. is new to town but an old hand at Colorado, L. has been in Denver a while but is still new to the state. Both of them are very similar: grrls that are tough as nails and can kick your ass, but also delicate and vulnerable if you know just where to look. A light goes off in my head that it would be cool if these two could meet, because individually they're pretty neat, put them together and you've enough star wattage to power a small city. And I know that when you've moved into a new territory, it helps a lot to know a familier face or two, if only tangentally. I can't just call L. and ask her to look out for H. I don't have her number, for starters, I haven't talked to her for years, and it would be kinda weird. The smoothest approach is to casually mention the fact in conversation, and then work it from there. I've got to have conversation in the first place, though, and that's where Saturday comes into play. If I can reaquaint myself with the old pack, I can reaquaint myself with L. But Saturday didn't happen. I can feel the opportunity slipping away. H. apparently refuses to reply to my letters, which is only fair as I was being very rude about not answering her mail for most of this year. And she's so good at forming social hurricanes around her, that it would seem silly for me to try and introduce L. anyway. besides, L. didn't sound all that glad to hear from me the brief time I spoke to her. And half the time these introductions just go nowhere no matter how hard I try (Which I never understand at all. How can people be so blind to just how cool the other person is?) I guess L. and H. will have to pass each other by like ships in the night, which really is too bad. Friendster Gene is sad.