Various subjects came and went during the live X (formerly Twitter) cerebral palsy (CP) chat #CPChatNow Wednesday, February 7th, 2024. To fill you in on some highlights, I am chat co-host Zachary Fenell. Welcome to your weekly recap!

Like usual, the chat began with participants enjoying small talk with each other. That friendly chatter eventually led to discussion about how fast time moves.

Veronica provided a real life example demonstrating how the years can sneak by. She mentioned seeing Come Back Buddy the previous weekend and remarking to her husband, “It was 4 or 5 years since we heard them the first time.” Then Veronica realized, “The pandemic was 4 years ago. It’s been 6 years since we first heard the band!”

In response to Veronica, I noted “Next year will be my 20-year high school reunion.” Jokingly adding, “Time needs to slow its roll.”

My co-host Devin Axtman replied, saying “I had no desire to go to my high school reunion.” The reunion talk would continue.

Personally, I looked forward to my 10-year high school reunion because I saw the occasion as an opportunity to show my peers a more authentic me. An authenticity I suffocated growing up by trying to hide my CP so I could blend in and be like everyone else. My emotional journey going from embarrassed about being different to embracing my CP I detail in my first memoir Off Balanced. As I mentioned in the chat, my 10-year high school reunion experience inspired me to add an epilogue to the book, which you could checkout on Amazon.

Enough shameless self-promoting on my end though! Let us get back to the conversation from February 7th, 2024. Since we focused our attention to time, a natural subject which arose involved keeping in touch with old friends.

Reflecting on my friendships from high school and college, I explained those friends no longer live in the area creating an issue for keeping in touch. Meanwhile Veronica said, “I keep in touch with my childhood friends with Facebook and try to meet up with them when I get back home.” She continued, “I also tell everyone our door is open if anyone wants to get away from the snow.”

What advice would you give for maintaining friendships? Answer for the extend-the-conversation question, “What advice do you have for keeping in touch with friends?”

Answer below in the “Comments” section. Afterwards, mark your calendar to join us each and every Wednesday on X, starting at 8pm ET.

Until then, remember. Don’t blend in. Blend out!

-Zachary