Tuesday, March 23, 2010

What I Was Thinking She Was Thinking

I just finished reading my gal pal Kristen's latest post about how hard it is making girl friends. Even in our thirties, the same insecurities from the junior high locker room still haunt us, they just age. She has bigger boobs than me turns into Her boobs dont sag as much as mine.

Kristin and I just met for lunch last week, in the middle of my Atticus crisis. We just started hanging out recently to talk about writing. She is a writer, mother and uber-cool hair stylist and I wanted to get her input on where she thought I should get my MFA. I was down to two schools (Seattle Pacific U and Vermont College), and was hoping someone would help me figure out where to go since most of my brain power was otherwise depleted. I had to decide by last Friday.

As we were discussing the benefits of each school, I realized there was actually another conversation happening that Kristin had no idea about that exhibits nicely the reason why females struggle so hard to be friends. The two conversations kinda went like this:

ME: What do you know about Seattle Pacific's program? *Oh God. I didn't shower this morning and my hair looks so greasy. Kristin is gonna think I am a total loser. Do you think I am a total loser, Kristin?

KRISTIN: Yes! It's a great school. I don't know much about the program, but their journal IMAGE is really top-notch. You could definitely benefit from the connections you'd make there.

ME: But, don't you think I have opportunities in Nashville for those same connections? Do you think I should break out of the box and be in a place where my framework is challenged?
*You think I need my bangs cut, don't you? You are totally mocking my hair right now, arent you? You and your edgy 80's punk rock hair-do are judging my greasy, no hair-do hair-do, arent you?

KRISTIN: Yeah! Definitely. That would be a really great experience. You really can't go wrong either place. I'm really excited for you. That's gonna be awesome.

ME: Thanks, Kristin. I'm really excited. Thanks for getting together with me. I'd love to do this again. *You can't wait til I get my nasty-assed hair away from you cause I'm lowering your stock. I know you are embarrassed to be seen with me in Jackson's. You are hoping people don't notice your dorky, uncool friend with her stupid necklace. How do you know how to dress so freaking cute? Bohemian, yet still clean? Whenever I try that I just look dirty. Why do I always look so dirty? Dammit! I hate my hair.

KRISTIN: Me, too!


So, Kristin wonders why it's so hard to make girl friends. Exhibit A should help explain. We are shallow, caddy, critical, competitive comparers who can't just enjoy a simple conversation. I wish I were a boy who just wanted to show off how he could get a wad of paper into that hole other there. Life would just be so much easier...

9 comments:

  1. Stay tuned to find out where I chose...

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  2. yes yes can't wait for the big reveal :)

    I think it is harder to be friends with girls now than then - so many emotions and so much nuance to navigate. . . no time for that sort of thing anymore - that's why your best friends are always the ones you make when you had the time to really dig in or there has been so much time into the relationship that they now have crossed into the family category.

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  3. katherine...totally agree! college was really the best time to make life long friends. though, i dont think its ever easy. not for me anyway...

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  4. you think too much! enjoy who you are (love yourself)-- everybody else loves you. (except for that hair) ha!

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  5. Sarah, fantastic blog! I completely agree! Katharine hit the nail on the head too. I long for deep friendships, but they seem harder to come by now than ever before. Just another reason why I WISH you lived closer!!!!!

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  6. Shit - its confirmed. I am a girl.

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  7. I love this post! I still hold out hope though that real, deep, long term friendships can be fostered post-college. It must be. Or why would we ever go to coffee with someone new, right? Please God, let it be true!!!

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  8. LOVED this dialogue b/t you two. Just posted it on my own neglected blog. And FINALLY subscribed to your RSS feed so we can blog stalk you all :) We've been praying for Atticus too. Love you guys.

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  9. thanks amy! all the prayers are needed. still looking into the cause of these weird experiences.

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