"If we were the kind of people who liked other people.."

...then this wouldn't be nearly as funny!

If I remember correctly. I think I made this remark after meeting a couple in our new neighborhood. I liked them. They seemed to have similar tastes and interests to us. I started to remark how 'if we were the kind of people who liked other people..' and you started laughing before I could finish that train of thought, which would have been, then 'the So&sos are people I would enjoy going out to dinner with on occasion.'

But perhaps there was some truth in what I said? How often have we met some pushy sales person or nosy neighborhood gossip that eventually hints at the same thing: 'Let's be friends so I can see the inside of your house' or '..so I can get more referrals from you' (in the case of the former.) If we had friends, we would certainly keep them from the likes of them!

Perhaps it should give me more than a mere moment's grief that I can't fill out one of those silly referral sheets for my work, a timeshare drawing, or a silly home party prize. I don't have any friends - well at least not any that need to be pestered by people like that. - Do unto others and all that.

Which brings me to my second point... why don't we have more friends? Are we dangerously emeshed like a certain coworker of mine and his codependant spouse (trapazoid lids, anyone?)Our only reliable companions are my brothers and their wives or an occasional coworker and spouse. Is there something wrong with this picture?

I like people. I enjoy watching them. I enjoy making fun of them. I even like that I have the ability to walk away from them when they are boring me. One thing that I like more than most people is my privacy. Our privacy. Sure I have friends, but I do not allow them to intrude on our personal life or our treasured time together. I like being a close knit couple who doesn't need to rely on anyone else for good conversation and fun.

How well you know me

Today as I was driving to work, I passed a bridal store with a new window display and that got me thinking about how well you know me. It surprises and delights me when you share such a keen insight into my psyche.

I remember when we had only been married a short time (maybe a year) and all of our friends were also getting married. We made the rounds to all their somewhat low budget and predictable receptions. We would politely sip the cliche 'red death' fruit punch with sherbert froth, choke down some stale party mints, hear the same lame wedding toasts, and carefully regift a few of the hideous orange towels and punch bowl sets that we'd been given. Why break with tradition?

You once remarked very astutely that I only wanted to go these receptions to see the brides' dresses. Something about how I needed to make sure that I was still the fairest of them all. It was pretty much true, except I also knew everyone else would continue to use TanTop Bakery for their wedding cakes and I have a weakness for their buttercream frosting.