Reach out to an old friend today

Also in this week's C&EN, I really liked this Career Navigator piece about 25 reasons to get in touch with a former colleague. I think it's a little weird to quote all 25, so I'll pick 12:

• I saw an article about this topic, and it reminded me of our conversation.
• I saw these in the store, and it reminded me of how much you like them.
• I am about to graduate, and I wanted to thank you for getting me started on this path.
• I have come to realize you were right on that idea we argued about.
• I saw that you published a new paper. Congratulations!
• I was organizing my desk and admiring that gift you gave me.
• I wanted to let you know how that project turned out.
• I’m going to the ACS national/regional meeting and would love to meet you there.
• I started a new project and am using some of the things I learned on the last project we worked on together.
• I was searching old e-mails, and I came across one from you.
• I attended an event where they did something that I knew you’d think was a great/horrible idea.
• Someone came to me with a problem, and I gave him/her the same advice you once gave me.

There are plenty more in the article, but I liked the ones that I picked.

One of the great joys of the blog is that, over the years, I've made many, many new friends and I love shooting them texts, e-mails and Twitter DMs and just saying hello. Here's hoping that you reach out to friends, old and new, today.