Tough questions!

I'm not sure if I should respond, since I'm not very good at keeping connections.

When I had a stroke, I was surprised how many friends I didn't have. (I was 300 miles from home at the time, and I texted/emailed everybody to give them the news. About 60% of them never responded at all, ever. That was disappointing and deeply hurtful.)

My mobility is severely restricted now, and when I do go out, I get so many weird looks -- big old guy, shuffling along with a cane, right side mostly immobile -- I have become very self-conscious.

Through texts and emails I try to be positive and only report positive stuff. I'd like to be more involved with my friends' and relatives' lives, but you can't push a rope.

Luckily, I have a loving wife who helps keep me engaged, and there are a few friends I'm in regular contact with -- but that's all long-distance. I would love to have a friend take me to lunch (I'd even pay for food and mileage), but that hasn't happened in years.

I'm not complaining. It is what it is. I have lived my entire life on the road less traveled, and the main thing I've learned is that there's a reason why people don't travel it,

Isn't it ironic that the more connectivity we have, the less connected we become?