“Ruth has friends like other people have wardrobes. I mean that there's someone for every occasion.”
- Elizabeth Berg, Talk Before Sleep
Once upon a time, one of my gay friends told me he enjoyed going out to the gay bars not necessarily to meet men, but to be around people like him. As an ally to the LGBTQ(etc.) population, I felt a little left out by that proclamation, but I took a few minutes to think about it, and he had a point.
Everyone wants to be around "their people", whatever that means to them, from time to time.
I was mulling it over recently that I don't have many close female friends - in general, but in Nashville specifically.
This is not anything really new.
My best female friend lives in Atlanta. We see each other a few times a year, and we have a text conversation ongoing.
Here in Nashville, I have female friends - but nobody I could just call up and go to brunch with - most of my female friends here have kids, and responsibility, and aren't able to just drop everything and meet for coffee and chit-chat.
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| Who needs Pumpkin Spice Latte when you have General Foods Orange Cappuccino? |
But then, I'm not really a coffee and chit-chat girl. I mean, I am, but... whatever.
I think it's just that I look at girls I grew up with, went to high school, college with - they all stayed close with a core group. I have always drifted around a bit more. And I'm OK with that.
I have made some really good friends over the years. I'm lucky like that.
But if there were a bar full of middle-aged, sarcastic, profane, liberal, child-free women, I'd probably go. Except, really, it wouldn't be a bar, it'd be a nail-salon/ice cream parlor - and none of us would stay long because we'd need to get home to our dogs, plus - too much estrogen.
Meanwhile, the weekend is over, I'm tired, and it's time to wind down to get ready for the week ahead. I suspect it'll be proof-reading and editing. I enjoy both a great deal.
So I think I'll let the Doodlebug out to secure the perimeter one last time, and call it a night.
ae
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