Bonding Over TLC

You never know what is going to connect you with others

When I was in fourth grade and memorizing all the lyrics to “Waterfalls” by TLC, did I know I would bring it up in a conversation 21 years later? No, no I did not.

But life is funny and today in conversation with a person over the phone, who sounded roughly the same age as me, I commented how I didn’t realize when I was memorizing “Waterfalls” and all the N*Sync and Backstreet Boys songs that it would be taking up space in my memory so that twenty years later, I had to think hard about what I had for lunch yesterday (it was pizza, fear not, I did finally remember) but I could remember easily dozens of pop songs on my youth. My phone conversation buddy laughed because she was the same way and BOOM connection was made.

It’s incredible the little things that connect us as humans. And I wasn’t looking to make a connection. At least not intentionally in the “oh we should connect because I want something from you” kind of way. It was a simple thing that we had in common from our past even though we had never met and were unlikely ever to do so.

I think most humans try to connect, consciously or not. Note: I have no scientific basis for this assertion. I believe it might be though why we feel good when we find something in common. Humans want to connect with other humans. I have a friend who is a very different religion than me. We don’t believe in the same things. We don’t wear our clothes the same way. We don’t eat the same way. The thing is though…when…