at long last, i have had a second date with the busy and elusive stand.
i took myself out to lunch at a cafe in langely. i'm not sure i've ever eaten in a restaurant alone. at least i'm pretty sure i haven't in this country. it seemed like a reasonable challenge for a second date. not something i am comfortable with, but not too much of a stretch either.
there was some awkwardness, certainly. i didn't have much to say to myself (we'd already spent the morning together practicing driving a stick shift and taking a yoga class). i had my ipod with me and it was difficult to resist the urge to listen to the audio book i've been enjoying (the emperor of maladies), but i deliberately chose to be alone with my thoughts and abstain from media distractions. an internal dialogue followed regarding everything i was worried about; i consciously attempted to put it aside. i imagined squishing those worries in a book like a flower or fairy (think Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book by Terry Jones) and adding the books to my library, to be dealt with at an appropriate time.
worries momentarily shelved, i found myself searching for something to look at, someone to watch... looking for distraction, no doubt. as i was fidgeting and casting about for a story to tell myself, i took special note of the entrance of a cheerful older woman, seeming to be pleased enough to be solo and headed to a late brunch at the braeburn. i found her sunny disposition inspirational. perhaps someday my dates will be playful and friendly, inclusive of the people around me... open, in other words. accepting of myself and therefore accepting of whomever should cross my path.
those are hopes.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
stand dates stand: first date
the idea came up for me in February around valentine's day. i want to date myself. picture that "romantic dates in and around seattle" book. i'd like to do that. alone. well, not so much alone, as with myself, if you understand the distinction. arbitrarily i've chosen to conduct this experiment for six months. i'm planning one date a week. but i'm keeping it loose. after all, who knows if i'm gonna be interested in a serious relationship with this person, right?
i decided to ease myself into it with a low time commitment activity. after all, it's the first date. i took myself out to the frye art museum (bonus: it's free!). i purposely didn't look at the exhibition information online yesterday so as not to have spoilers - hence the experience would last as long as possible. which is to say, still short. i have a minuscule attention span.
the coat-check boy was very interested in if i'd seen the show, i replied i hadn't. was he flirting with me? couldn't he tell i was on a date? it was then that i realized that i could see a screen flickering in close proximity. what exactly was i walking into?
turns out the exhibit is a collection of footage, costumes, props, and... statuary? from a dance troop called the degenerate art ensemble. i have similar feelings about dance as i do about sports. i really enjoy them - when i'm participating. watching, i get bored pretty quickly. i also have very strong feelings about filming theatrical performances. i believe they aren't made to be filmed, they're made to be experience live, from a distance. this fact can make for some awkward footage of even the most talented performers. all that being said, i genuinely enjoyed the small collection of photographs that was included in the exhibition.
as i wound my way through the space toward the cafe (hoping for WIFI), i saw a stream of people heading into a performance hall. oh. no. i'm not getting roped into watching an extended dance performance today; time for this date to come to a close. i head back for another awkward encounter with my coat checking friend. he asks how i liked it. (i'm on a date, man! we're busy getting to know each other.) i stammer some reply about the intimacy of film and that i liked the "pictures". oh, boy, the pictures were sho' purdy. i make my exit noting my level of anxiety is sky high.
so what have i learned? i, that is, my date continues to like photography. that's good to know. she's nervous around strangers. she is skeptical of watching full-length dance performances, especially on film. i suppose i knew all of that, but this is only the beginning, and still somewhat within my comfort zone. just wait till it's dinner and a movie.
boy howdy, that should be something.
i decided to ease myself into it with a low time commitment activity. after all, it's the first date. i took myself out to the frye art museum (bonus: it's free!). i purposely didn't look at the exhibition information online yesterday so as not to have spoilers - hence the experience would last as long as possible. which is to say, still short. i have a minuscule attention span.
the coat-check boy was very interested in if i'd seen the show, i replied i hadn't. was he flirting with me? couldn't he tell i was on a date? it was then that i realized that i could see a screen flickering in close proximity. what exactly was i walking into?
turns out the exhibit is a collection of footage, costumes, props, and... statuary? from a dance troop called the degenerate art ensemble. i have similar feelings about dance as i do about sports. i really enjoy them - when i'm participating. watching, i get bored pretty quickly. i also have very strong feelings about filming theatrical performances. i believe they aren't made to be filmed, they're made to be experience live, from a distance. this fact can make for some awkward footage of even the most talented performers. all that being said, i genuinely enjoyed the small collection of photographs that was included in the exhibition.
as i wound my way through the space toward the cafe (hoping for WIFI), i saw a stream of people heading into a performance hall. oh. no. i'm not getting roped into watching an extended dance performance today; time for this date to come to a close. i head back for another awkward encounter with my coat checking friend. he asks how i liked it. (i'm on a date, man! we're busy getting to know each other.) i stammer some reply about the intimacy of film and that i liked the "pictures". oh, boy, the pictures were sho' purdy. i make my exit noting my level of anxiety is sky high.
so what have i learned? i, that is, my date continues to like photography. that's good to know. she's nervous around strangers. she is skeptical of watching full-length dance performances, especially on film. i suppose i knew all of that, but this is only the beginning, and still somewhat within my comfort zone. just wait till it's dinner and a movie.
boy howdy, that should be something.
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