Single ladies make some noise

Sometimes, when I'm out with my girlfriends, my phone will ring and I'll say "I wonder who's calling me; all my friends are here." I'm only half joking.

Tonight, I was out with one of my ex-coworkers and a classmate. We were celebrating her 30th with dinner, martinis and dancing. While we were on the dance floor, her purse vibrated so she checked her phone and said the same thing. And it occurred to me that I have quite a number of girlfriends who I didn't realize were girlfriends. There were six of us out tonight and I have worked with five of them. The sixth is in the industry and it is a small, incestuous one. The stuff that went down six years ago at the small company I used to work for is legend. Tonight, the sixth girl was suitably in awe that I was so closely tied to that debauchery. I digress.

I thought I was out with former and current coworkers. But it turns out I was out with girlfriends. I don't think that it's just single girls who gravitate towards me either. Granted, it's hard to be single in your thirties and us single ladies do tend to bond quickly. It's hard work being independent and balancing work and life and still being open to meeting men and finding a relationship. It's a bit anti-feminist to admit that it would be nice to have someone else shoulder the burden once in a while. But there are married women too. I have been invited to bridal showers and weddings and baby showers by women that I didn't think I was that close to. But perhaps those women have fewer female friends so, even though I might be on the periphery, it's an important concentric circle. After all, I was looking forward to high tea this afternoon for weeks, even though I only talk to some of those ladies once every couple of weeks.

So, married, single, mothers, coworkers... it all becomes irrelevant. It's about the female connection. I wasn't planning for this kind of a weekend. That makes this a very good weekend, pending post dim sum Sunday sex with Grey aside. (And, at this rate of sleeplessness, my performance will be distinctly sub par).

Last night, I was out with friends. This afternoon, I was out with friends. This evening, I was out with friends. I'm a lucky girl.