This doubtful guest

I love my friends and all, but I feel so distant sometimes.

I don't understand manicures. I don't understand shoes. I don't understand branded goods. I don't understand wallets that cost more than what they contain.

It happens quite often that a certain brand/celebrity/type of shoe/whatever is mentioned in casual conversation and I haven't a clue what/who it is.

Sometimes I'm glad because perhaps this allows for greater capacity for the things that matter to me.

More often, though, this is extremely isolating.

There's one of two things that can happen:
I continue this way, living in this world as a doubtful guest.
or
I get with the programme, understand why these things matter, forget the things I once cared about.

At the end of it all, I've always known: fated.to.pretend.