The Passengers

There are way too many of us humans around. It is only natural that too many of us meet the remaining of us, creating an inter web of connections, and friendships. 

Think about it. When you were a kid, you had friends in your neighborhood, class, and maybe cousins you lived nearby. Then you met new people in College, while working at various places and so on. Some of your friends introduced you to their friends and then you knew more. If the sheer number of people you met and made friends with at various stages of your life were to be added, you could have at least won your colony's elections. 

But, are you in touch with all of them now? Do you even have any memory with most of them? Or they have just become names, which ring a bell but you don't really know why! 

The truth is, we all move on, consciously or unconsciously. The kid who sat next to you in that class, the best friend you played with every evening, or even the neighbor you shared your rooftop with, all fade into the background of your life as time passes. The question is: why does this happen?

It isn't that we don't value those connections. In fact, at one point, they were everything. The school corridor was cluttered with kneeled down kids, the streets witnessed endless fights over cricket games, and those shared conversations felt like lifelines. 

But life has this uncanny ability to push us forward, leaving us little time to look back. New places, new jobs, new relationships come into play. As we grow, our likes, abilities, and priorities evolve. And at each step, we unintentionally let go of the bonds that defined our yesterdays. 

I still remember the day I outgrew Salman Khan movies. It just didn't give the kick it used to, earlier. That's the same for people, you some times find the connection dwindle once the number of things in common between you reduces. You absolutely used to love talking about superheroes back then, but now he is more interested in watches, and you are still watching WWE highlights. 

Moreover, there is just a physical limit to how many people you can actually be in touch with. As life fills our minds with new priorities—like income tax rules replacing trigonometry—it becomes harder to remember the smaller details, like Ankit’s favorite EPL team. If the British anthropologist Robin Dunbar were to be believed, humans can maintain stable social relationships with about 150 people. Beyond that, it's just people coming, dipping their legs and going away. 

But here’s the thing: human connections are strange and beautiful. Even if we’ve drifted apart, there’s a piece of each person we’ve ever met that stays with us. They’re embedded in our stories, shaping who we are, even if we don’t realize it. That childhood friend may have taught you the importance of incognito mode. That neighbor might have introduced you to a favorite dish or a quirky habit you still carry. Think about it: you didn’t know about alcohol, torrents, Dostoevsky or Tony Kakkar right away. Someone introduced them to you. Every encounter, no matter how fleeting, leaves an imprint - good or bad.  

It’s worth wondering: how many of those connections could be rekindled if we tried? In today’s instagrammed world, where finding someone is often just a search bar away, the possibility of reaching out is easier than ever. But do we? And if we do, what stops us from bridging that gap? Is it fear of awkwardness, or simply the realization that perhaps we’ve both outgrown what once tied us together?

However, this isn’t about rekindling every connection you’ve ever made – that’s impractical and maybe even overwhelming. But it is about reflection. Of all the names and faces that “ring a bell,” there are bound to be a few that strike a deeper chord. Maybe it’s a friend who supported you through a tough time, or someone who shared a milestone moment with you. Those are the connections worth nurturing, the ones that go beyond mere names to memories that still hold meaning.

Life is short, and our connections are the threads that weave the fabric of our existence. Some threads may snap, others may fray, but a few – the important ones – can always be mended. Letting go of the ego, and facing the awkwardness might actually lead to something good. The choice lies with us: to cherish the past while embracing the present, to honor the people who made us who we are, and to reconnect with the ones who truly matter. Because in the end, it’s the people we keep that define the stories we tell.