It's the little things...

The other week, I went to Milton Keynes with my friend - a swiss au pair who is a relatively new acquaintance of mine. Now, as many of you will know, I don't tend to feel that strange urge to go to a shopping centre every other weekend. But this was different. It was two friends, determined to have a good day at any cost and each willing to oblige the other's wishes to do whatever it was that made them (albeit temporarily) happy.

As we were wandering around the shopping centre, making conversation, it soon became clear that the shopping centre held a different appeal for each of us. She attends language classes very near to the centre, and therefore likes to visit the shopping centre regularly to shop for clothes, shoes and accessories (typical girl!). I, on the other hand, have no interest in the centre beyond the positive association it holds from meeting up with good friends for a coffee. And, of course, any store selling stationary - I'm a sucker for stationary, since I enjoy letter writing and the purchasing of anything which makes my life a little more neat or organised...

So, as you can imagine, we both started to feel a little awkward - each wondering whether the other was actually able to enjoy themselves whilst in the presence of another person who had a rather different idea of what constitutes an afternoon comfortably-spent.

Fortunately, we already knew that we were compatible as friends regardless. And so we started to remind ourselves of what we had in common as opposed to our differences. We looked out for stores which interested both of us - testing the Rocking Chairs in 'Topaz' (I highly recommend this activity), taking pictures of ourselves trying on funny sunglasses in River Island (well, it was good fun until we got chucked out!) and relaxing and chatting over a coffee in 'Costa'. Then, of course, we had to run the distance from the main shopping centre to Xscape in the pouring rain in order to catch a showing of 'Spiderman III'. Our shoes were filling with water as we splashed through the car parks - it was hilarious!

I was so glad that I had spent the day with her in the shopping centre - my mother's words, "It's all a frame of mind, " came back to me. She's so right. If you really want something, then you'll make it work. I want to have a good friendship with this person, so I'm willing to get to know her and make some memories - doing whatever it takes.

When the film was over, we went back home. Except the doorstep we arrived on was neither mine nor her's. Because I had chosen to spend my time doing what she enjoyed doing and getting to know her, she was only too happy to return the favour. We were standing at the door of my Church.