Birthday fun
This evening we attended a get-together celebrating a friend's 40th birthday. Interesting venue: a former mortuary, high-ceilinged and dimly lit, renamed "The Chapel." Undermanned as far as servers went, but they were cheerful fellows and eventually we all were well-oiled and sufficiently fed. The birthday girl seemed to enjoy herself, despite her tendency to griping, and a few of us even devised a secret plan to celebrate again on her actual birthday, Valentine's Day.
Not an easy date for someone continually looking for a date, but we hope to distract her.
One couple there tonight admitted to having met on the internet; they are definitely a success story out of what has sounded to me a most dismal medium for human connection. He observed that you learn not to believe anyone's depictions of themselves - "no truth in advertising!"; she remarked that she had been honest about hers, and he said,"Oh, yours was an understatement!" Very sweet.
In connection with Valentine's Day, the newspapers and radio stations have been full of articles and call in shows about the chilliness of Seattle's social climate. When we moved here over 30 years ago, it did seem to take a while to get to know people, but after we got involved with bicycling clubs we started to make more friends. Parenthood shifted our friend base from people who never wanted children to fellow school and sports team parents, and it has shifted again as our interests change. Of course, we came here as a married couple; people who are single can have a more difficult time connecting. I've always thought being active in some sport, and having a variety of interests and passions could contribute to making friends, but it doesn't guarantee anything. I have several friends in their 30's to 50's who are looking for people to date, and they seem discouraged lately. I do think a couple of them have "requirement" lists that are too demanding, but they aren't people to whom I can suggest relaxing and being more open. Getting pretty set in their ways far too young, I think, but then I haven't been in their situation; I know they don't want to spend time on relationships which don't seem to be going the way they'd hoped. Not that they should "settle," but maybe a bit more tolerance is in order.
Not an easy date for someone continually looking for a date, but we hope to distract her.
One couple there tonight admitted to having met on the internet; they are definitely a success story out of what has sounded to me a most dismal medium for human connection. He observed that you learn not to believe anyone's depictions of themselves - "no truth in advertising!"; she remarked that she had been honest about hers, and he said,"Oh, yours was an understatement!" Very sweet.
In connection with Valentine's Day, the newspapers and radio stations have been full of articles and call in shows about the chilliness of Seattle's social climate. When we moved here over 30 years ago, it did seem to take a while to get to know people, but after we got involved with bicycling clubs we started to make more friends. Parenthood shifted our friend base from people who never wanted children to fellow school and sports team parents, and it has shifted again as our interests change. Of course, we came here as a married couple; people who are single can have a more difficult time connecting. I've always thought being active in some sport, and having a variety of interests and passions could contribute to making friends, but it doesn't guarantee anything. I have several friends in their 30's to 50's who are looking for people to date, and they seem discouraged lately. I do think a couple of them have "requirement" lists that are too demanding, but they aren't people to whom I can suggest relaxing and being more open. Getting pretty set in their ways far too young, I think, but then I haven't been in their situation; I know they don't want to spend time on relationships which don't seem to be going the way they'd hoped. Not that they should "settle," but maybe a bit more tolerance is in order.
posted by isabelita at 10:14 PM
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