Sound the trumpets: I have a new friend

When’s the last time you made a new friend?

I recently made a new friend. 

This isn’t the kind of news that usually warrants an announcement, but you know, I’ve been housebound for the better part of a year, so it feels like a bit of an accomplishment.

Don’t worry – no lockdown rules were broken in the forming of this friendship. In fact, my new friend and I are separated by an ocean, and have never met in person. We became friends in a very 2021 way. Through LinkedIn. And Zoom.

My new friend’s name is George. On paper, we might not appear to have much in common. We are from different generations. He grew up in New York City, I grew up in a small town in the Midwest. He’s a bit of a misanthrope, I love people. 

Most of our interests are different, too. 

I have a vast knowledge of (and interest in) pop culture. George jokes that he’s been ‘in the dark’ for 50 years, so most of my pop culture references are wasted on him. George is more academic, and though I’ve kept up with most of his historical and literary anecdotes (so far), I wouldn’t want to compete against him on Jeopardy!

But we do have a few things in common. 

We are both writers, readers, and thinkers. 

And even though we are two decades apart in age, we seem to share the same old school ways of working. Showing up on time. Doing what you say you’ll do. Taking pride in your work.

Having diverse interests means our conversation topics run the gamut. Our most recent conversation started with me making a reference to The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac, asking George for his stance on East Coast vs West Coast rap. Somehow that detoured to George’s take on city life vs the suburbs, and bakeries and danishes. That spurred me to mention Kringle, a Danish pastry my grandparents used to get from Racine, WI.

George added that the SC Johnson Wax headquarters are in Racine – and that the building was designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. I told him my introduction to Frank Lloyd Wright was his Snowflake Motel in Michigan, a few miles from where my grandparents lived.

Then I added the fun fact that the interiors of the Japanese company in Die Hard were inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s creation Fallingwater. George proved he’s ‘been in the dark’ by admitting he hasn’t even seen Die Hard – but that he had been to Fallingwater, as well as Philip Johnson’s The Glass House.

The conversation about architecture piqued my curiosity, and after our call, I went down the google rabbit hole researching Frank Lloyd Wright. My knowledge of Frank Lloyd Wright until this point was ‘famous architect, Guggenheim, etc.’ Turns out the architecture might be the least interesting part of his story.  And, his son invented Lincoln Logs! Who knew?

This kind of curiosity and inspiration was also sparked after George and I spoke in January, a few days before the US Inauguration. I told him I was analyzing the Inauguration playlist for messages behind the song choice. That led to him sharing a New York Times article about the candidates’ playlists on the campaign trail. I told George, “There’s an article here,” and after our call ended, I wrote one. 

Our conversations go off on tangents, but they feel like playing a game of tennis. We have no idea where the next shot will go – but we know it will be interesting. And the goal isn’t to win, it’s to hit the ball back and keep the game going. Mentally, it’s a workout, and that’s what makes it fun. 

At the end of every conversation, I’ve learned something (and I hope George has, as well). My curiosity is piqued, and then I find myself reading and learning even more. And that’s fun, too.

Even in these socially-challenged times, it is possible to make a new friend. So, go make a friend! And maybe reach out to someone who isn’t the most obvious choice. 

They may not get all your references, but that’s OK.

When you’re different, you’ll both get to learn.

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