toby of the day, 12.16.2007

So tonight was one of those times when we really felt like parents: we attended our first function where the only thing we had in common with the other people there was toby. it was a potluck dinner for toby's daycare, with the parents of the three other kids (including the day care provider). Overall, a friendly bunch. But it was a little weird. Sure, we all probably share similar politics, this is san francisco after all, though we were all too polite to discuss them in mixed company. and we all apparently like organic food. and if all else failed, we could always tell stories of kids doing the darnedest things. but it was still, well, awkward. And it made me think of how this is only the beginning. For the next 18 years, we will be attending innumerable functions where toby is the common denominator. and if we move, there's the strong possibility that many of our social contacts will be derived from this parental pool. I know that sometimes this works out really well. My parents do have friends who are the parents of my brother’s or my friends. Actually, now that I think about it, they mostly keep in touch with the parents of my brothers friends. I'm not sure what that says about me. . .in any case, in addition to the few where it works out well, there are the many other examples: the religious fanatic mom, the dad who could only talk about scuba diving, the woman who couldn't understand why anyone would want to read anything but danielle steele (or why anyone would ever read during the summer). As a child, my friends and I would hide or dawdle to get a few extra moments of playtime, assuming that our parents, like us, were having the time of their lives, drinking tea and chatting about all those things adults have in common. I have to say, the day toby's best friend's mom shows up talking about jesus and romance novels I may just disown him. But until that day, we'll just hope that he manages to introduce us to at least a couple of keepers.