Too Dependent on my computer

I had a "I'm too dependent on technology" realization this week. When I started this job, my office-mates told me we use MSN for inter-office chatting. So I started using that and gmail messenger mostly. I didn't even have aol messenger on my work computer, so I forgot it existed.

Here I am now, a little more than 6 months later, and you would think forgetting about aol or AIM would be no big deal. EXCEPT for this - I had about a handful of my "best" friends that I only talked to on AIM for the previous 5 years or so. We never called or emailed because we were always online. The sad and almost sick thing is that in a way, I forgot communication with those people existed also.

So, I was missing one of those friends, who actually works about 2 minutes from my house. This was the thought process that went on in my head....
"Hmm... I wonder how he is doing. I haven't talked to him since... hmm... well, I guess since the beginning of fall semester....
I should call him...
I can't believe I haven't called him sooner. He hasn't seen my house yet.
I'd feel weird calling him.
I would? Why?
Hmmm....
.....
I don't know, we just don't call each other.
Maybe I should email.
Do I even have his email address?
...
I wonder where his Mom lives.
I don't even remember where he lives...
How do I get in touch with him?
Hmm.... how did I in college?
Oh my gosh!!!!! Messenger!!!
I completely forgot about AIM! Is that program still around? It must be! Is anyone still using it?
Whoa!!! How did I totally forget that?!!"

So I immediately installed it. Within less than a week I have reconnected with about 5 of my closest friends. As Im telling Eric about some of these people, saying how great they are and that I miss them, I feel like a complete jerk that without messenger its like the friendship ceased to exist.

I dont even have a paper address book anymore. If some of you all out there switched logins or email addresses, I would lose all contact.

How scary is that??!!!!! I'm not talking about someone you did a science lab with one day, but people that I spent hours upon hours with during college - who know my family and my past.

Shoot - I'm talking about people who know my maiden name!

And to think - my friendship with them is semi-dependent now on a computer program?!

It is one thing to stop seeing each other daily, because you finish school. Then, of course, people move away, to other locations. But at some point, I didnt just move to NY or idaho or whatever, I moved to AIM and lived within it. People visited me there, called on me there, without necessarily even knowing my current address or phone.

Can you tell? This freaked me out...