Townies.
 
17 years ago, Mrs. P predicted that her daughter and I would be good friends for a long time.  
 
A and I were born less than 24 hours apart, lived down the street from each other for over a decade, and attended all the right schools together. 
 
Now that we are in our pre-cougar phases, our life is a curious, hilarious, jet-set adventure.   Even when we are miles and miles apart - we still live parallel lives.
 
For example,  we both broke our heels in the same week.   Her in Milwaukee, me on St.Denis street.
 
Anyways, I learn a lot from A - she taught me to live confidently and assertively, to pursue desires with a vehement passion, to stop caring about what others think of me, to fry an egg. 
 
Things I think I taught A:  enjoy life more, have more compassion for others, to RELAX, to be single and fabulous!
 
To conclude, I think what really makes us close is the fact that we both have the same tolerance and love for children...muHAHAHAHA.  Which brings me to my next topic.
 
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Kids are not cute. 
 
Fine, they are cute when they are clean and wearing little outfits.  They are also cute when they are fat and sleepy. 
 
But most of the time, kids are dirty & sick - carriers of weird diseases such as "hand, foot, mouth disease".
 
Kids are also always crying or making noise at the wrong time.  ON the plane.  grrr.  At restaurants.  grrr.  In line at the grocery store.  grrr.
 
Kids are also needy - they always need you to do something for them.  Why can't they just start learning to do more for themselves? 
 
Kids on TV are the worst.  Some are so mature that it is freaky!  Others overdo the "cute" thing.   Speaking with the baby voice and asking all those innocent questions to get laughs from the audience.  Pathetic really. 
 
Finally, there is such thing as an ugly baby.  Colleagues who talk non-stop about their kids usually like to show you pictures of their kids and expect comments like "ohhh SO CUTE!"  I believe that is completely wrong.  Basically, it is a set-up to make someone tell a lie. 
 
So I guess I am not ready to be a mother?  I wish I could have kids without being the mother.  I wouldn't mind being the father.  Which brings me to my next topic. 
 
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Gender envy.
 
I sometimes think that it was cruel fate that I was born a woman.  Basically, I have all the qualities of being a hot Asian guy.   I have a good career, confident-assertive nature, motivated, and looking at all my uncles in my family - I would be buffed.   
 
Also - if I were a guy, no one would ask me if I wanted kids or if I liked them.  Basically, I could get away with not liking kids. 
 
Another thing I could get away with is being single.  Guys my age are encouraged to be single and "play the field".  No one ever even thinks to ask them when they will get married or settle down. 
 
One important thing I could get away with is - live life without having the fear of wandering into places where rapists hide.
 
Finally, time also seems to be more kind to men.  There are so many societal pressures for women to stay youthful in appearance, to bear children at the right age, to be nuturing and soft or forever be labelled a b...which brings me back to my first topic.
 
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Do not conform.
 
My friend A has always known what kind of life she has wanted and doesn't stop to care about what others are expecting of her.  She has always been very straight-forward about choosing career over relationships and the possibility of having children.   While I don't necessarily desire the same things as she does - I do admire the way she pursues her wants in life while tuning out all the noise.   
 
Ok that is it - no more topics as I will be Shanghaied shortly.