Similarities – are they good or evil or just there?

October 11, 2008

A few months ago – when the sun still warmed up my little portion of the planet enough to make playing outside pleasant – I came across a woman on a scooter. The same brand as my little scoot, hers was the smaller model with a 50cc engine.

Other than that, it was the same. Immediately I felt a kinship with this woman and I looked for her every time I ran an errand on the scooter.

Two orange scooters against the universe. Never mind that she was a batty woman who reminded me of a cat-lady. Never mind that she only wore a skull-cap helmet and no gear at all. Never mind that during out talks she seemed oblivious to the rules of the road as they applied to scooters and motorized bicycles.

She and I were on the same scooter team and that made everything right.

I’ve felt the same way about the other woman – easily in her early 120’s – who owns a Scion the same color and year as mine. Far be it for me to admit to driving a car that attracts ancient woman to the driver’s seat, I still beep and wave whenever I’m cruising past her. Two Gray Scions passing in the day.

Where does this superficial kinship develop? And more so, why?

Think about the people who whip out a cell phone similar to yours. Don’t you get a smug feeling of being ‘in’?

Or the friends who tell about their vacation to St. Kitts, a place you enjoyed almost simultaneously.

But there is a line. It’s drawn at clothes and watches and hairstyles and pets.

I’m not sure why, but if you see a similarly dressed person out on the town you feel it’s your obligation to cover up your garments so as not to seem like a twin.

And I know I’ve tugged my sleeve down when seeing that someone else had the same altimeter watch I used to favor (it now sits gathering dust on my nightstand).

For all the spouting we perform about our independence, we’re a funny species. We want to be ‘in’ without being ‘also’. Maybe that’s the real distinction.

Looks like it’s going to be warm today. I’m going to go ride my scooter. Maybe I’ll run into that wacky lady. I just hope she’s not wearing the same gear.

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