I have known a number of girls called Caroline. Each time a Caroline has come into my life it hasn't turned out well either for me or for her.
Starting with the most recent - Caroline was the vicar at a church I used to visit (fairly irregularly). When I first joined her congregation she made me feel welcome, partly because I was by far the youngest adult member of her "flock" and partly because, just as I was, she was married with a pre-school child. Gradually though I noticed a certain "chill" developing between us - I was slowly but certainly marginalised in those aspects of church life that I most enjoyed. I tried hard to stay friendly and co-operative but it wasn't to be. I came to dread seeing her and so I stopped going to "her" church and I haven't seen her to speak to in a couple of months.
The next Caroline was a lady in her 40s who had moved to a rented house a few doors away from where I live. Her husband had moved to the town when he took up a promoted post locally and she was feeling quite lonely. We used to meet up for coffee and a chat on a Saturday (her husband used to work Saturdays) but then she started making excuses that gradually got stranger and less believable. I took the hint and although we are polite to each other - as I hope I would be to any neighbour - there is no trace of friendship left. Perhaps we just didn't have enough in common?
The third Caroline was a girl I knew at school. She was one of the "cool kids" and she decided when we were both in year 11 that it would be trendy to become a lesbian. So she did, or at least in her mind she did. Briefly Ella and I were admitted to her inner circle but the instant she moved on her next craze we were dumped as being bad for her image. This Caroline was, and still is by all accounts, a typical "alpha female". She has a fairly high profile in the town but she is almost universally disliked and mistrusted by everybody I know.
Before you ask - yes I do seem to have a problem maintaining friendships with normal, mainstream people. Please feel free to comment why this might be the case!
Maybe there is just something with you and people who are "Caroline"s. I can't get along with anyone named Kelly to save my life, so don't be to hard on yourself!
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