A for Attitude

I met a girl I like.

No. Despite the words to the new popular song, it's not what you are thinking. I just met a grown-up girl who is not one of my six sisters that I admire. And that is a big deal. Because I have some pretty high standards for my friends.

Usually it will be over for a friend before she gets a chance. If she is married and her husband is really annoying, or flirts with me in front of her, that is the kiss of death. Then there are some other things I can't tolerate. She can't:

• Talk too fast
• Talk too loud
• Talk about nothing
• Talk only about shopping
• Talk only about herself
• Eat too much
• Eat too little
• Talk on the phone while eating
  
• Care too much about what she eats
• Play too much tennis
  
• Have a really dirty car or house
• Have an impeccably clean car or house
• Think her kids are perfect
• Say mean things about other people that she is supposed to be friends with
• Say the F-word

O.K. I know that's a long list. but I'm getting older and life is getting too short to spend with people who annoy me.

Anyway, the best thing about this new friend is that she is HONEST. It is extremely hard to find those people any more. With other people I know, you have to dissect each sentence in search of the truth.

If their husband lost his job because of the crappy economy, he is "tired of working for the man." If they want to sell their big house and use the money to send their kids to college or pay off old debt they "just want to simplify." If one of their kids can't hold a job, he is "finding himself," and if he gets a large new swastika tattoo and a tongue piercing he is "expressing himself."

It would be so refreshing if these people would say: "Wow. This sucks. I feel like we are going backward instead of forward, and to add to my stress my kid has gone off the deep end."

I think I would give that honest person a big hug.

This new friend of mine is like that. She just tells it like it is. But the great thing about her is that she looks her life straight in the eye and then she finds a way to be positive and funny about it. Not in denial about reality, but accepting of it.

Watching her operate is like going to attitude school. And I'm hoping to raise my grade a bit.