I now judge people based on their parental skills.

You know you're getting old when you start judging people on whether they're good parents.

We had some friends over for lunch last Sunday. We had never met the husband, but afterward we judged him as a cool person and friend-worthy because he was a "good dad."

Before kids, you judge people on their sense of humor or personality or generosity.

After kids, you judge them on what kind of parent they are.

Good parent means good person. Bad parent means bad person. It's a nice, easy way to simply, and it seems intuitively accurate.

If there's someone we don't like, but he or she seems like a good parent we have to qualify our judgement. "I don't like him - but he is a good Dad. So I'll give him that much."

Have you ever tried this social experiment?

One day you realize that you're the only one who calls, invites, writes or initiates contact with someone. You've been a friends for years - but you've done all the work. All the organizing and inviting and planning.

You've just realized, "Hey that person never calls me."

You want to try an experiment. You want to see how long it will be before they contact you. So you stop all inviting, emailing, talking and communicating.

A couple days pass. You haven't' heard anything. No big deal. Only a couple days.

A couple weeks pass. Hey what's up??! What's wrong? Maybe you should contact them after all - something could have happened. Maybe they're very sick, dying, in the hospital. No, stay strong.

A couple months pass. You're angry now. Does your companionship mean nothing? NO WAY are you going to contact them again.

More time passes. You never hear from or see the person again.