The Puzzles

Carly and I recently (last night) had a conversation that has really got my mind reeling.  We were talking about our roommates, our likes and dislikes about all of them (*no offense guys), and she told me that over the summer, before school started, that she felt like she really got to know me because of our emails back and forth. She said that there was one email that I sent where she felt like she really connected with me. And it's this connection that I love finding in people :)

We talked about the difference between 'understanding' and 'knowing', and how there is a definite difference.
Ask me about an ant, and I can tell you that, yes, I do know what that is. But I can't tell you that I understand what it is because I have no idea why an ant is either significant, insignificant, trivial, remarkable or memorable to you. The background, history and memories associated with ants are specific to you, and I wouldn't be able to understand them without further explanation provided by you.

We also talked about how people store information in their heads. Going back to our roommate discussion, I was talking about how I put people together in my mind. Everybody has their own puzzle in my head that, when completed, forms their own heads. On the back of each puzzle is a word either describing them, their hobbies, random facts etc. etc. The borders of the puzzle have the basic, rigid information about them such as family info, age, gender, morals, values, where they're from etc. But the middle puzzle pieces are the pieces that TRULY describe the person. Their habits, sayings, opinions, interests, passions etc. I was going through and thinking about how fully formed each roommates' puzzle is in my head. Elizabeth's about 90-93% completed, Jillian's around a 75-80% (although some days I feel like I have no idea who she is at all. She's spunky!). Carly was asked that day how comfortable she felt around all of us (100% being like family comfortable) and she said around 65%, which is weird because that's how much of her puzzle is completed in my head.
But there are some people in this world who I can't put a puzzle together for. I just collect puzzle pieces not knowing if it's a "border piece" a "middle piece" or even a piece at all. It's these people that I have the hardest time relating to and it's not their fault at all. I'm not trying to say that they should change so that I can piece them together; it's just hard for me to relate to someone I can't form a picture of.

I love late night post-gym conversations!