This is fun: I've made a friend at Mac's guitar lesson. She's the gal who takes drums with Mac's teacher right after Mac is finished.  I think she must be about 27ish, and she's taking drums because she wants to, which I think is rad.

I really like chatting with this person. Like today, when she got to the music place, she greeted me with jazz hands. I obviously loved this. We had about five minutes to catch up.

"What's new?" I asked. "Any more concerts for your friends?" Last time I'd talked with her, she'd played drums in public for the first time, for a few peeps at her apartment.

"Oh no," she said. "I'm done with that. But, one of my friends is taking guitar, and we've been playing together."

"You're a band!" I exclaimed.

"Yes," she confirmed, "but we only play at home."

"That's still a band," I said, definitive.

"We've been writing songs," she told me.

"That's fantastic!" I exclaimed. Of course, I had a lot of follow up questions about writing songs, writing together, and how to to do that.  She answered them. I'm pretty sure I can't write songs. I gave a little synopsis of Just Kids by Patti Smith, which I think this gal should read.

Then I told her about teaching my seventh graders to write fiction, which has been an absolute trip.

"Are you a poet?" she asked me.

"No," I said, "but I'm writing a book."

She was thrilled by this news, which pleased me.  She inquired about the process. Then, I learned that she's an illustrator and a wildlife rehabber, and that she's just scored a contract for her first children's book. This led to more questions - do you have an agent? Do you work for yourself?

When Mac and his teacher appeared, I felt I had to explain why his next student and I were engaged in intense and enthusiastic conversation.  "We've made friends," I said, smiling.

"That's great!" Jason the guitar teacher indulged.

"We're making community here," I explained.

"We're all artists," drum girl said.  She was serious, which I loved. I don't even know her name. I should probably clear that up.

Making Hockey Mom Friends, Across Perceived Difference.

Not Making Friends with Millennials