Irreplaceable enjoyment in ham radio

I have recently talked to a couple of old friends after a long interval.

One was Bill K1YT in Stow MA. It has been quite a long time since our last contact, maybe, almost 10 years. I used to work him often around 1990. After I had gone for DXpedition to XU as XU0JA in 1991, when it was immediately after the civil war in Cambodia had been over. I visited him with some slides taken in XU. He was in his mid 40s while I was around 40 years of age. He held a meeting for me with local hams like Don N2DG, formerly WB2DND, Joe K2VUI and so forth. I have shown them those slides. It was a hectic and busy trip to the US. But Bill has treated me as a real friend over there. Since that eye ball, we have just exchanged season's greetings only. We seldom had QSOs. Only once ten years or so. It was a surprise for me to hear him on 15m CW the other day. His fist sounded as if 20 years ago. I could picture where he operated radio at his home. It was not a long chat but good enough to renew our friendship. Since both of us have retired now, I would like to talk to him on the radio in addition to regular season's greetings.

The other was Tommy W6IJ in Deanair CA. In our 1st QSO in '80s after a long interval, we were excited to know we had had QSOs in '60s when he was WA6NFC. He used to visit us here in late '80s. It was the time when Mike ZL1BVB visited here as well. We have had a pleasant eye ball in Tokyo altogether. I and Hide JH0FBH have visited him at his previous QTH in late '80s after his visit. He has taken us to a various places like Yosemite Park. Since that time, we have worked especially on our loving band, 40m, from time to time. I have seen him in Seattle in eye ball at the FOC gathering last summer. He looked quite the same as in late '80s even thouth he got a bit more gray hair now. It was after several months absence that we had the contact again on 40m. He seemed much dedicated to Masonic activity there. We have talked on each other's family etc. He seemed to have spent fruitful retirement. It amazed me a lot that he had been a good chef since his young days. Maybe, we might see each other sometime in the near future.

I belicve it is always most precious thing for me to share our lives with my friends like them through ham radio. I feel we have lived together for the past years. Isn't it an irreplaceable enjoyment ham radio gives us?