People are surprisingly reluctant to reach out to old friends, Nature study finds

Over a decade ago, Sheila Brownell was going through a challenging time and lost touch with a close friend. She saw her a few times in the succeeding years but the interactions were brief. Brownell missed her best friend: "She's always just been that one person." 

That's why when she was prompted to reach out to an old contact at an event run by her local chamber of commerce, she figured it would be the perfect opportunity to reconnect. Still, she was nervous. A lot of time had passed. Did her friend still want to talk? Would she shut her down? 

Brownell recalled one of her favorite mottos: "The answer to every question you don't ask is no." She sent the message: "Hey, let's get together soon … I think about you a lot." By the time the workshop ended, she already had a response: "Yes, me too. Let's still do it."