the first rule of carpool: no talking about carpool

Against my lone wolf inclinations, I joined a carpool. I was a bit shamed into it, since a carpool runs right by my house each and every workday. There are actually two carpools from my suburb to the office. No matter how green you think a hybrid car is, not driving it is greener. So I joined a carpool. For the greater good and all that.

You know what? I kind of dig my carpool. It's become my little sewing circle. I talk about the people in it a lot. All the time, really. I never noticed it until family came to visit me, and it seemed every sentence started with, "Well, I asked the guys in my carpool …" or "Something interesting happened in carpool …"

There are some things about the carpool I truly do NOT dig. Like the pick-up hour: 6:30 a.m. Brutal. And the departure hour: always about 30 minutes past the time I'm ready to leave. Killer.

I have not been quiet about my displeasure on this last count.

So recently, the other carpool underwent some restructuring. They're short on members. They've come to recruit me. They have tempted me with their alternate carpool model: go in later, leave earlier.

I repeat: go into the office later, leave the office earlier. And since everyone in that carpool is a native Spanish speaker, they have thrown in an offer of intensive language instruction. Sounds pretty good, verdad?

But here's the thing. I've grown attached to the people in my current carpool. I turned down the other carpool's offer, and they were shocked. I tried to explain, but they couldn't fathom that there was an emotional element to a carpool. I realized that I like hearing my current carpool's opinions on the European Union, and Atlanta restaurants, and suburban zoning, and the idiocy of pretty much everyone else on the road. Because I see these guys interact in the carpool, I understand them at work just a little bit more. And they let me be crabby in the morning.

Which I will be, at 6:30 a.m. Count on it. But I will feel better about the whole thing about 6:50 a.m.