How are you different?, part 2

“How do you make avocado toast?” Nathan asked.

We had just finished hiking and I told Nathan I’d make some for brunch. To be honest the question surprised me, because I assumed everybody made avocado toast the same way — with almond butter and avocado on toasted bread, with sea salt on top. Apparently, though, I was wrong — he had never heard of putting almond butter on avocado toast, and neither did two other friends I asked.

Isn’t it funny how that happens? I’ve only had avocado toast at work, and because it was delicious I assumed that was clearly the only correct way to make it. I wonder how many other things in life are like that, and how often that causes friction between people. This specific example was interesting because it’s never even occurred to me that you would leave out almond butter while making avocado toast.

These differences are fascinating to me, and I love learning how people are different even though I’m not going to change how I make avocado toast. I’m open to change on other topics, though, if I’m presented with an idea that’s better than my own.

Another category of different I enjoy learning about is when somebody’s lived experience is completely foreign than mine. On another occasion, a friend (also named Nathan, but I call him Nate) talked about how he used to shoot at his friends with Roman candles. I had no idea what a Roman candle was, seeing as how I essentially grew up in California and fireworks are illegal in much of the state. It didn’t give me a desire to want to shoot fireworks at my friends, but it was nice to know I had the option if I ever left California and happened across a fireworks stand.

While I still maintain that it’s our similarities that form the basis for lasting friendships, it’s our differences that gives me blogging material. 😂

So tell me…how are you different? 😁