It's called parity. Equality as in amount, status, or value. Good and bad. Yin and yang.

Parity.

Last night I attended an event supporting a program that teaches disadvantaged inner city kids how to snowboard. Apparently, I supported these inner city kids by drinking too many vodka cranberries.

I don't think they'll ever find out though, none of the kids seemed to have been invited.

I strike up a conversation with a vague acquaintance, or perhaps "friend of a friend" would be a more appropriate description. In the midst of this random conversation, I mention that I would like to get another skateboard, in hopes that I might be able to take advantage of her employee discount. Her friend then offers to give me a skateboard for free.

I meet someone for the first time, and his first words to me are an offer of his old skateboard.

These are the kind of people I need in my life.

Things look up. I ignore the dull deep house session spilling over everyone's conversations. I ignore most of the beautiful women I'd usually be coveting. I ignore my lack of continuously flowing vodka cranberries.

Also in attendance that night was the girl, making it the second time I've been around her since the breakup.

I assume I must have made some sort of good impression on her. At the beginning of the night, she was standoffish and impersonal, but by the time I was leaving, she was insisting on a kiss for each of my cheeks.

At the time, I was unsure of how to feel about that, but I think I've clarified and confirmed my analysis.

This morning when we arrived for brunch a half-hour late, I made a snide but harmless joke about her constant complaints.

She replied by venturing a sincere offer to throw her coffee in my face.

Parity.