To like someone..

The following conversation took place at work yesterday:

S: "Karen... I really like you"
Me: "Um, why?" (was totally caught off guard)
S: "When you first started I wasn't sure how it work out because we're so different... but I really like working with you."
Me: *laugh* "Thanks, I like you too."

This got me thinking. I've never really paid attention to my friends political or religious views because to me they are a non-issue. I really and honestly believe life would be boring (or really insane) if everyone was like me. I like to think I subscribe to the "live and let live" philosophy. The girl S is an extremely conservative/republican/religious girl and I think that's cool. It's interesting to pick her brain. But when you cut away all that we actually have tons in common... we both have in-law drama, we love stuffed animals, we both desperately want silly tattoos (frog for me, unicorn for her) and we love Queen and The Beatles passionately.

In fact my best friend is the complete opposite from me when it comes to almost anything political/religious and/or environmental. I can't imagine the gaping hole that would be in life if we couldn't put all that aside and be friends. I guess it's different when you're 18... I think it's sad though because I almost missed out on what is turning out to be a great friendship...

Is it ingrained in our very being that as we age we begin to define ourselves by our political/religious identities instead of our likes and dislikes? I remember in elementary school picking my friends based on if they liked the X-men or Little Ponies. In high school, your extracurricular activities by default defined your friendships. In college it was your major. In grown-up life? I haven't quite figured that out.

I guess just chalk this up to another mystery of being a grown-up that I don't get...

(p.s. I only offer up my political/religious identity to people as a way to warn them about what might be coming out of my mouth... I have a tendency to speak and then think... lol)