Every now and then I’ll wonder what someone from my past is up to. Someone that I’m not in regular or semi-regular contact with.

Recently, I wondered what Frank from University was up to.

Frank and I met in Drama class in first year. And then he asked me to be one of his room mates in second year. So, we knew each other well.

But we lost track of each other after school. Almost four decades ago!

Over the years, I would occasionally go on social media blitz and try to track down Frank.

But I never found him.

Dang. He was a ghost.

And then I thought: Egad, what if he is a ghost?

So, I checked obituaries for him as well.

Nothing.

I went to Erindale College. Now, University of Toronto in Mississauga (or UTM). A couple of years ago, UTM contacted me to see if I wanted to join an alumni page. I figured that would be a great way to find some old friends. So, I joined.

The only problem was that no one I knew joined. Not even the people I was still in contact with. (Yeah, that’s right. I’m talking to you, Pavlina and Sue.)

I would check back periodically, but no luck. None of the folks I knew were there.

In January, on a whim, I decided to check again. And I found a tiny entry for Frank.

No photo. No email.

First thing I realized was that I had mis-spelled his last name. Oops. That would have made it hard to find him…

There were scant details in his entry. But Frank mentioned where he worked in his brief description. So, I tracked down the website and found contact information.

I sent him an email and he responded. Soon a Zoom call followed and we caught up.

I’ve found other friends over the years. But I’m often surprised how many folks from my generation aren’t on social media.

It sure makes it difficult to find people.

And the older I get, the more likely that some of these friends might become ghosts before I find them.