Curiosity about Chemistry

Today's musing is about Chemistry. I'm not talking about lab chemistry with beakers and Bunsen burners and bad smells. I wouldn't do that to my few faithful readers. ( though if you want it I'll go there) I've been thinking a lot recently about the other kind of chemistry. The kind between people.

To me this concept has always been elusive. But I had an epiphany driving home this morning from the beach. Epiphanys always seem to hit at 4:30 am. I am convinced more people would experience them if they were awake at that hour. Mine came as I was I was returning home from dropping people off after a friends party. The three of us had been talking about how much we in the larger group enjoyed each others company and got along so well, considering we had all only met in January. We also shared how much more fun Miami now seemed to each of us as a result. The three of us are all transplants and have been here for some years, yet only now are we really starting to enjoy ourselves here. That has everything to do with our new eXtrememiami group of friends.

I have always thought of Chemistry as the connection between two people in love. This idea has been probably reinforced by my online dating experiences where everyone says they need to feel the Chemistry. Everyone is looking for the Chemistry. I haven't found it yet, and I haven't even known where to look. I know it when I see it though. Many of my friends have it. Two friends are getting married very soon have buckets of it. I can see it in the way Lucy looks at Nadine in pictures. It was there in the way Noah and Vanessa were holding hands last night as we waited for the car.

My epiphany was this. Chemistry is there when it becomes easy and fun to be together. It doesn't only happen to lovers either. It happened to me with my new friends here. It happened with the friends I met in college and in grad school. The elusive Chemistry between two people is there when it's easy to be friends and hard not to be more. I've been looking for it in the wrong places, as usual. I am confident that now that I know what I'm looking for I'll notice the Chemistry when next it happens to me.

Gentle readers, that is my deep thought for the weekend. Impending nuptials always get me on these kind of thought tracks. I'd love to hear thoughts from you on this, if you have any thoughts to spare on it.

For those with no time or energy for deep thoughts, no worries. Next time I'll post pictures from the lingerie party I attended.