Instant Bonding: How a Shared Obsession Creates a Fast Friendship

Last November, when I learned that Anne shared a particular obsession of mine, we were out to dinner with another woman, and I'm afraid we were rude. Anne and the other woman are neighbors of mine at my new house, and we'd been talking about stereotypical girlfriend subjects--men, shoes, travel--when somehow we got on the subject of college football. I think someone mentioned an event that coming Saturday, and I said there's no way I could attend. "I save my Saturdays in fall for football," I explained, a little abashed because I regularly get grief from friends over what they consider my weird, almost unseemly, passion for college game days.

Just like that we were off, talking about the dominance of the Southeastern Conference--particularly the Western division.

Anne's face lit up. "What? You like college football too? I LOVE college football." And then we were off, talking about the dominance of the Southeastern Conference--particularly the Western division, how new rules allowing college players to make money will impact the game, and which coaches were probably going to get axed. Our dinner mate was completely excluded from the conversation, but it took us a while to notice, we were both so delighted to find someone who was equally knowledgeable and cuckoo about the sport.