We were having dinner with old friends this last weekend. We are in contact with these folks on a regular basis, but because of schedules and the distance between our homes, we don't get to see them as often as we would like.
The subject of conversation was about trips to New York City. We all agreed it was a great city and wonderful to visit, but there the similarities began to evaporate. It was obvious to me that we would not be good traveling companions in NYC with these folks since our tastes and interests went in wildly diverse directions. I think it was when his lip curled when we related that we likes to just walk through Greenwich Village and dream about living there that I thought to myself, he'd rather go to see "Lion King". As it turned out I was wrong, it was "Mama Mia".
Don't misinterpret here. I'm not being a theater snob. Anything that keeps the lights burning on Broadway is a good thing, but my wife and I prefer drama to Disney. We live in the city and love it. They live in the suburbs and to them it's heaven on earth. I have another good friend that thinks living in the suburbs is living in the city and if he doesn't have acres around him feels penned in.
I have difficulty thinking of why the other guy's preferences are so great, and I 'm sure the reverse is true. I like to visit the burbs and the country, but I would not like living there. They think the city is a place of pollution and crime and I think their lives are devoid of any kind of human stimulation.
They claim they come to the city for theater and culture, but on examination they don't partake nearly as often as we do. In fairness, my wife points out the very often a neighbors in the city don't either. But I know Maria and I wouldn't involve ourselves in the cultural aspects of the city nearly as much if we lived in the burbs.
The other glaring difference is the cultural diversity of the City of Milwaukee and the suburbs. Put bluntly, there isn't any diversify in the suburbs and unfortunately both the white community and the black and Hispanic community seem content with that. We are not.
Again, I don't want to sound righteous and indignant. These likes and dislikes, and the differences in our comfort zones are what make us human. All bigots don't live in the burbs and many people from the burbs regularly take advantage of what the city has to offer. My point here is that there are differences and these folks are still friends and we can relate in areas where we are comfortable.
Because of our interaction we learn from each others experiences what is going on in their world and they in ours. We find that their world is not as sterile and lonely as we might think, and they find that we are not awaken to the sounds of gunfire every night. All in all, it's a good thing to have some contact with your opposite mouse
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