I think one of the most awkward things EV-ER is when you laugh at something somebody says, but then it turns out they weren't kidding.

I was looking at craigslist just now (you know, garage sale ads, people selling bikes, all the prostitutes) and it occurred to me that I am sadly lacking mom friends and maybe I should click on "groups" - and not just to laugh at people advertising for group sex.

Yes, maybe I should join a mom group. Or a parents group. Or a book club. Something social. But even as I am looking through the ads I know that there is no way I'm going to join some random craigslist mom group. They could be weird. They could think I'm weird. Or trashy, or dumb, or any kind of awful awkwardness and I don't know what would be worse, but I'm pretty sure they are all worse than being occasionally lonely.

But then I come across an ad titled "Help stop parental alienation." HA! Parental alienation. You know all those parents out there who are alienated from regular people. You lose your identity as a person and start just being a parent. I get it! And I think, hey, this person might be funny. Maybe there is something / somebody cool out there. So I read and it wants me to help stop parental alienation (HA) by joining this group. We'll stop parental alienation by all getting babysitters and go out drinking together! But not too much because we have to get home to the babysitter and no act too drunk!

Anyway, it turns out that parental alienation is the term for when one parent snatches a child and runs, leaving the other parent grieving and never seeing their child again.

So not so funny.