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goobster  ·  945 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: August 25, 2021

My next door neighbor is a 16-year old girl who I really like. She's a good kid. Good head on her shoulders. Smart. Engaged. And just a great kid, all around. They have three pets; two super cool cats and a 10-year old pitbull who is a big love, and just thinks the the world of me.

Neighbor kid has fallen IN LOVE with my new dog, Moxie.

So while we did our big rugby event for three days, she came over and played with Moxie, fed her, tired her out, etc. In exchange, I'm taking her and her mom out for ice cream. It was a good trial run.

Yesterday our dogs started playing in (and destroying) my newly planted front yard, so I brought both dogs into my back yard to play and goof off. Neighbor kid eventually came over to hang with the dogs, too, and we wound up having a conversation for over an hour.

I, a 52-year old dude, sat and chatted with a 16-year old girl for over an hour.

She's taking her last two years of High School at the local Community College, where she will graduate from both High School and College - with an AA degree - in two years.

I wonder what kind of world she will be graduating into?

What will work look like then?

She's a good kid. I hope she is equipped for the coming world... I don't feel a lot of positivity about the future, but I sure feel good about her chances in it.

UPDATE: Got to chat with her mom while we were side-by-side watering our gardens, and she told me that her daughter has social anxiety and has a hard time chatting with people! ... except me ... that felt really nice. I'm glad she's comfortable talking with me.