Needs no title!

I love women. Not in the physical sense, though they are fun to look at. Not as a critic, looking over a wearer of the latest fashion, unless something about the fashion is really eye-catching, in a Lady Gaga-esque sort of way. None of that stuff is really important, when you get right down to it. And that's what women do after they reach a certain age: they get right down to it.

When I meet a brand-new possible friend (and that's the way I look at everyone these days), I have little use for the standard pleasantries. I am really no good at small talk, and that's the stuff our men-friends seem so good at discussing. How is the weather? Who won the big game? Can I borrow your lawn mower? How big was that fish? What was your last golf score? Men can spend a full weekend together and come home knowing nothing about each other.

Women, on the other hand, quickly learn about themselves and each other in a depth that sometimes startles me, but is always pleasing. Having said that, I will admit to the fact that the woman I met tonight I met because she was wearing a fabulous belt. All right, that is the standard "I like what you're wearing" opener, but it didn't stay there very long.

The friendship, which started at about 8:30 and lasted until approximately 9:15 (when I had to leave the event), took no time at all to delve into background - where did you grow up? - what era were you part of, and does it relate easily to mine? - Has your life been slow and stable, or has it been full of variety and change, as has mine? - How is life for you now? Are you comfortable, or is it a bit rocky?

It took no more than a minute to realize that compatibility was a given. I think that is because we eventually, and hopefully, reach a point in our lives where we are steady and confident in who we are as women, and as a result we no longer feel the need to compete. Instead, the desire to connect is far stronger, and the information and questions can go on for hours.

It was too bad that the event we shared held other responsibilities for both of us. I would like to have dug further into her history, asked the whats and whys of career choices and family, looked at tastes and dreams. I am sure our conversation could have gone on until midnight with neither of us becoming bored. Golf scores would never have come up.

Anyway, I hope she knows that she enriched my life with her presence, just for 45 minutes of information sharing. Women friends are invaluable, no matter how brief the friendship.