In this world, we are not separated from people by distance. We are separated by the amount of effort it takes to make contact. A phone call, a message, an e-mail, a rickshaw ride to go meet them. I feel far from the people who are closer to me in distance, and closer to those who are far away.
Where I live, the closer distances are harder to get to. Because it takes lesser effort and so, you believe you can do it at your convenience. I don't visit my aunt, who lives a little more than walking distance away from home, as often as I meet friends who live a comfortable rickshaw ride away, because rickshaw doesn't cover the short distances.
Phone calls do, but they only work as well as meeting in person, if you are far away. If you can use them as a viable, rationally explained alternative to meeting people in person. If you cannot travel to them, practically, as often as you call them. Only in this scenario do phone calls work. Only then do they matter, really. They don't work if you are close, and want to use them only to maintain contact. People would much rather see you in person than hear your voice over the line, from a short distance away.
There are some who get this and some who don't. Often those who don't will matter the most to you. And the ones who do will be just like you, not bothering about what mode you choose to keep in touch with. For those who don't, heartfelt missing works. A very very heartfelt and genuine message/e-mail/phone call usually sets things in order. The little magic of saying what you really feel works wonders and mends the gap. And laughter. Make them laugh. Put it on your weekly agenda, and put smiles on those faces.
It all comes down to the effort. Let the little unsettling feeling with someone's face on it burn bit by bit till you cant handle it anymore, and when that happens, put it all together, make that little effort and touch. Make contact. Set things in order. You know it feels good.
