Most people will be, most of the time.
Several years ago, I was gifted a weekly calendar consisting of tear-off postcards. Each one had a funny “Denglisch” idiom on it—a typically German expression translated literally into English. Throwing away the postcards would have been a waste, so I had the idea of actually mailing them to my friends. But in order to do that, I first needed everyone’s address!
Over the Christmas holidays in 2025, I finally bit the bullet and started reaching out. With some friends, I hadn’t spoken in years. I was hesitant. Would they appreciate me showing up in their chat windows? Or wonder what I could possibly want after such a long time? Still, I kept going through my list.
Two things surprised me: First, how quickly everyone shared their address. Not only their willingness to do so but also their literal response time. Thank you, Christmas! A time when everyone has time. It truly brings people together in ways both common and unforeseen.
The second, bigger surprise was how happy everyone was to hear from me. “Nik!! Oh my god, it’s been ages! How are you doing? What’s new?” Across the board, people seemed genuinely excited, interested, and grateful for our interaction. Some were brief exchanges. Others turned into two-hour long catchups. But every single conversation took a positive spin.
When folks unexpectedly reach out to me, I try to tell them: “Thanks for messaging me! Great to connect with you again!” You can…just say that, you know? And the more we all do, the easier it will be to pick up the phone once more. Because whenever we’re scared to take the risk of messaging first, we’ll remember: Most people will be happy to hear from you.
