Have you started...?

You know when you're overdue on something, when everyone asks you the same question. The question I have had to answer the past 2 weeks was : "HAVE YOU STARTED YOUR COURSE YET?"
It's fine if I get from colleagues because they probably spend the most time with me, but it's coming from almost everyone in my social circle. That could only mean one thing - it's too important to me.
My gf is back again from Chicago, her yearly pilgrimage back here, for the lunar new year with her family. We do not correspond except in the last 4 weeks prior to her return. It's been like this for many, many years. For 11 months after she leaves, there will be silence. She gets back to her life there, and me to mine here. During Christmas, we will exchange emails to wish each other and she will let me know when she's due back. A week before she leaves chicago, she will email me to let me know when she's arriving. When she arrives, she will call. It's our ritual. The first thing she asked me after the 'I'm back' is : HAVE YOU STARTED YOUR COURSE?
I'm amazed that she remembered - but then we have been friends for more than 20 years, so it's no surprise that she knows me very well and what would be most important to me.
I'm glad to finally be able to tell her - it's 12 mths delayed, but I'll be on it February 15th 2008, with none other than the university she graduated from.
She sounded a bit shocked that it was a year's worth of delay, but perhaps the point is that it's now on the cards.
A very good friend, who was privileged to be at the receiving end of my endless bitching 2 weeks ago, came back from outstation and his first question was the same.
Another gf whom I see weekly for meals and coffee, also asked me about it, because I was keeping silent on the subject for too many weeks.
So, when people who mean something to us, start getting concerned, then it's best we get ourselves pushed to getting it done. People don't have to be bothered, after all, how does it affect their lives right?
That's why we have the inner circle and the outer circle of friends.
Friends who are in our inner circle, do not have to be with us all the time, because we are in each others' minds and hearts. They are the ones who quietly support us, without fuss, without incidence.
And because it's them, I feel comforted that they asked, because I know they care.