sent from: Esher, Surrey, UK. destination: Long Beach, California, USA

I met up with a small number of schoolmates over the weekend, an informal gathering to remember the passing of one of the group, far too young, of a heart attack. I could barely remember most of them, as none of my close friends from those days were there. Still, if you define a tribe as a group of people who share a common language, culture, education, upbringing, it’s a fair bet anyone would put me in this group. And yet, as they shared stories and reminiscences, jokes and hugs, I couldn’t relate. They were all nice people, but I felt I had nothing in common with them. I don’t know that I was ever part of this tribe, even though in theory I knew all the same words and symbols. Or is it a little like family – I am a part of it whether I recognise it or not?