We're the Same

I went  through years of mostly just wanting to avoid people from high school. I don't know why. No reason, really, other than wanting to avoid the effort of making small talk. I ran into a friend from high school a couple days ago. We had some classes together in Jr. High and worked at Sundance together after high school. We weren't super close or anything, but, yes—I'd say we were friends by virtue of the fact that we have this place and these people in common.

I run into him sometimes at school carnivals or the grocery store. I saw him a few nights ago when I was buying food for my son's camp-out and he was buying "baby milk."

It was bemusing.

There he was, a 40-year-old guy looking for baby milk and there I was, a 40-year-old lady trying to figure out what teenage boys eat in snow caves. We're the same. Parenting is the great equalizer. I have more in common with him now even though we aren't in school together and rarely see each other, and we will continue to just have more and more of the same experiences as life goes on: teenagers driving, parents dying, kids leaving.

We're all the same. We have so much in common. I'm surprised everyone doesn't feel more camaraderie for each other. I'm surprised we aren't all best friends.  Of course, I'm one of the last people out there making new friends and looking for things I have in common with others. I'm always trying to narrow it down and write people off, because it's easier. If I find out you think Jay Leno is actually funny, for example, I'll be like, see ya, NEVER.

Ah well. You may say I'm a dreamer. But I'm not the only one. I hope some day you will join us and the world will live as one and all that. 

Check out my Babble posts. Do we have anything else in common?

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