My friend Chris brought his 7 year old daughter to work today after she got out of school. Cute little girl. I saw her sometime last year, bubbly little thing. Talking to anyone in her path, drawing us pictures of whatever insane outrageous thing that a 6 year old can dream up. She was funny to watch in action. Today I saw her and said " Hello Gabby! How's the husband and kids?"

Instead of saying anything she just slowly turned her back to me and faced her daddy as I walked past her. Hmmm , ok. I guess she's about on time. That time when grown ups cease to be friends and people and become "them". Actually I'm not so sure it's grown ups as it's just "the others."

Someone you don't know. Strangers. People outside your comfort zone.

It happens to all of us at one point or other. You stop being that little girl sitting backward in the grocery cart making ugly faces at the guy next in line while your mom pays for her extra spicy diet fudge raisin tarter sauce. You stop being that little boy that says "HI!" ten billion times at anyone in range while your dad puts down a c-note on santa's little helper.

Kids are pretty blunt and full of candor before five.

"Why is your hair green?"

"How did you get so fat?"

"you smell funny."

"THAT WOMAN JUST FARTED!"

"My mom says you dress like a floozy."

You stop being so talkative and become the person you will be for the next 70 years. It seems to start when you're seven or eight, all of them at once like kids are part of some vast collective hive. Only talking to your close circle of friends, venturing a word in passing to someone if they talk to you first. I don't think it's only a big city thing, It seems to just happen.

I was eating lunch with a friend today. As we were getting into the car a woman appeared at my window. I rolled down the window to hear what she wanted. She was emaciated. Every vein on her broomstick thin arms bulged out. Her hair was ratty and she had an old bag slung over her shoulder.

"Can I have a dollar?"

I gave her a dollar. I wouldn't normally but I just felt I had no choice. She cornered me. I had to give a shit, or a dollar, now. I couldn't ignore her or act like she didn't exist. It was just a dollar.

The thing that suddenly struck me was that you could tell that at one time she was an attractive woman. Sometimes you can see what someone used to look like in their face. Behind all the age, grime or wrinkles. Then I thought someone at some time probably really cared for this woman. Fell in love with her. Bought a house with her. had children with her. Had a crush on her. Before her present state. Then I switched her place with someone I really care for or had a mad crush on and I imagined THAT girl at my car window asking for a dollar. It had a terribly crushing effect on me for a few minutes. All these thoughts came to me in a split second. I don't know why I'm writing about this. I guess I just wanted to get it out. I'll try to think of something funny tomorrow.