If I had not committed to writing every bloody night for 365 days, I would be snuggled up in my bed right now, trying to pass out early. While I never think of this self-imposed project as a chore per se, I’d be lying if I didn’t suggest that some days are harder than others to want to hammer out my thoughts before collapsing for the evening. Tonight is one of those nights.
It was a pretty typical day for one of my “long days.” I was in the office around 7 am, which meant my alarm went off at 5:30. I love getting in early because it allows me time to get actual work done before meetings fill the bulk of the day. On the flip side, it means a morning that I won’t see my kids before they head off to school. I hate that. At 6:00 pm, however, my day shifted gears.
One of my best girlfriends, who I am fortunate enough to work with, and I went out after work. A rare treat for me. Working in Boston actually allows access to cool bars and places to eat so it’s fun to take advantage of that proximity. We hit a local place we both love in hopes of burning off a little steam from an already stressful week. And we had no clue what was in store for us on this random Wednesday night.
We sat down on comfy sofas in the back bar, content to be virtually the first people there. We weren’t there to be seen - we were there to hang out, catch up, and enjoy each other’s company. A yummy margarita and a shared quesadilla later, and we realize there is a longer table in our area, suspiciously filling up, one by one, every 10 minutes. Each new addition to the group is more random and lost than the last. Not only does this look like the rainbow coalition, but this could also serve as the understudy cast of the Big Bang Theory.
At this point, any focus on whatever nonsense we were discussing became irrelevant. It became our mission to find out what the hell was the connection with this most unique grouping of people. We finally asked our server. She leaned in and secretly confided “it’s a dating group. They are all socially awkward and learning tips.” And the “Hitch” of this group (random reference to Will Smith character he played as a dating coach in a movie by the same name a few years back) was the most unlikely of guys…an overweight, sloppy-dressed dude wearing a baseball hat backwards. We had spotted him earlier attacking chips and salsa like he was a lion taking down an antelope in the Sarenghetti. If this guy was a lady killer, it is because is beautiful on the inside. On the surface, however, we marveled at the notion that this guy was in charge of this posse of 10 or so and wondered what he could possibly be teaching them. We applauded their efforts though. Good for them for making the attempt to figure out dating, no matter how seemingly bizarre the circumstance. And then it happened.
Our section had become a little busier as the room filled with this crew, and we were trying hard not to stare. We entertained ourselves for a while with some humorous text exchanges with a few mutual friends, and then BAM…they walk in. Two new additions to the group. While the majority of the original group were men, there were two women already chatting among them. But in walked what seemed to be a couple. They were in what could only be described as “costume.”
The man was a bit older, and very friendly. Looked normal enough, until his smile displayed he was missing about half his upper deck. And he made a beeline for the two of us. No eye contact, no eye contact, no eye contact…f*ck. ”Hi, I’m Mark.” I couldn’t even bust out my made up name because I was so caught off guard. This guy was wearing a pair of white 80’s sunglasses. The kind with the Levelor blind shade things/vents? And of course I had to comment on them. Something simple, like “Wow.” His explanation was that he and his friend were doing “Hollywood Halloween.”
Okay, first of all, I know I’m going to sound really judgmental. Forgive me. But it’s a random Wednesday night. No one is celebrating Halloween yet. And what the hell is Hollywood about those sunglasses? But your friend…now she’s got an outfit.
I’d love to know what goes through your mind when you think, “Ok, I’m heading out to go to a dating class in Back Bay. Cool bar, Wednesday night, it will be low key there. I better play it down. I know what I’ll wear to compliment my guy friend’s odd white Kanye sunglasses…I’m gonna light it up tonight and wear a belly dancing outfit!”
Yep, you read it right. Girlfriend shows up dressed as a full on belly dancer. And of course her glasses, to complete the look. And for fun, every few minutes, she stands up to shake it. Unfortunately, unlike Shakira, her hips do lie. I appreciate what she was going for, and she gets major points for bringing sheer chutzpah to the game. However, “there are no words” is pretty much the nicest thing that can be said between the my friend and I. Because at this point in the evening, to speak of this would turn us into mean girls, and we don’t want to be them. But it’s really hard not to be in this situation, because I wanted to pull this woman into the bathroom, shake her and say, “Girlfriend, seriously. WTF were you thinking?”
I LOVE people. I love that I can go out on a random Wednesday night, content on just enjoying a friend’s company, and end up being thoroughly entertained unintentionally. I love that just be being themselves, people are really interesting. Of course, I really wanted to coach all these people on “Here’s a thought…your ringleader doesn’t look like the greatest role model…I could probably give you 5 minutes of advice that could set you on a better path.” And yet, who the hell am I to give advice on anything? They are taking action on their dating lives. I’m the single chick typing a blog in my bed because I made an insane commitment to myself. Who really needs some advice here?
I don’t get to go out often, but when I do, I enjoy it. Thankfully, I make the most of my time by choosing great people to spend my time with, and fun places where there’s a good chance I’ll see something happen. If it doesn’t, sometimes the person/people I’m with and I will become that something that happens. And on this random Wednesday evening, I just had a bunch of laughs with a great friend, and got to see something I likely won’t ever see again. I hope.
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