I swiped my credit card, and took a glance. I started filling up my tank and caught a glance. I began washing my windows and caught so more glances. He was in his early twenties. Had a ring on his ring finger, just like I do. Looked like maybe he was filling up his wife's car. It looked a little too soft for him. Strangely, he seemed to be in no more of a hurry that I was. I kept glancing and he kept washing his windows.
Finally after I'd washed all my windows, I just walked over and started a conversation with him. That's when I saw his eye up close. Big blue eyes. Nice smile. Three or four days of beard. Started talking about the weather, then asked if he was a student. Score! Not only a student, but a student at my alma mater. So we talked about his major, his graduate school plans, his wife. Nice five minute talk about a variety of topics. When it felt like we'd reached an end, I said, "Well, nice to talk with you. Have a good one."
To which he replied, "Thanks" and as I walked away he said, "Can I get you name?" I will repeat that for emphasis. He says to me, "Can I get your name?" I'm sure I had a big smile on my face as I turned around and told him my name and asked his. Oh my gosh, I not only met him, talked with him, enjoyed the easy conversation, but he asked me for my name. I gave it to him. I asked for his. Yes, now have found him on Facebook. More pictures. Same handsome man with the big smile, the blue eyes and the few days of whiskers.
Later that day my wife asked me how the morning had good. Great, I told her. "Got a tank full of gas in the car. I was running on empty. That made me feel a lot better about things." What I didn't tell her was, "Yeah and while I was at the gas station there was this handsome young married fellow and I just couldn't take my eyes off him. So I walked over and stuck up a conversation with him. He's a student of blah blab and he's maybe going to go for a masters in blah blah. I know his name, so maybe I'll find him on Facebook and we'll go to lunch sometime.
To which he replied, "Thanks" and as I walked away he said, "Can I get you name?" I will repeat that for emphasis. He says to me, "Can I get your name?" I'm sure I had a big smile on my face as I turned around and told him my name and asked his. Oh my gosh, I not only met him, talked with him, enjoyed the easy conversation, but he asked me for my name. I gave it to him. I asked for his. Yes, now have found him on Facebook. More pictures. Same handsome man with the big smile, the blue eyes and the few days of whiskers.
Later that day my wife asked me how the morning had good. Great, I told her. "Got a tank full of gas in the car. I was running on empty. That made me feel a lot better about things." What I didn't tell her was, "Yeah and while I was at the gas station there was this handsome young married fellow and I just couldn't take my eyes off him. So I walked over and stuck up a conversation with him. He's a student of blah blab and he's maybe going to go for a masters in blah blah. I know his name, so maybe I'll find him on Facebook and we'll go to lunch sometime.
OK, Moho friends, tell me what you think of my actions, thoughts, and limited disclosure to my wife.
What you told her is the perfect metaphor for your "encounter", don't you think? You got "your tank" filled by being able to spend time with a nice young man. You were running on empty because you had been craving some male interactions. And, yes, it DID make you feel a lot better about things. Everything you said was honest, no? Maybe it would be good, however, to tell her that the two of you are friends on facebook. That would be fair, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteI often begin conversations with people at the gas station, male and female. Most everyone loves my car, so they always want to talk about it- I even had an older Japanese man who barely spoke broken English who wanted to talk about the finer points of the Coopster- which leads to other discussions. Fun times. :)
Love and respect, always.
I've heard it said that half of art is knowing when to stop - I think the same can be said for marriage relationships.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like Forester's encounter with the salesmen at Banana Republic (or whereever). He asked if he had crossed the line. Not the fidelity-infidelity line, but the flirting-cruising line. At the time it's hard to tell; only in retrospect; after you've had that lunch, that walk in the park, that late night talk...
ReplyDeleteI think your actions, both in how you dealt with the young man AND your wife, are perfectly normal!
ReplyDeleteTBA: He hasn't friended me back, so that's not necessary.
ReplyDeleteAbe: I like your artistic approach. Art. Yes that's it. This is about art. Got it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSantorio: Well let's see. Since there's been no Facebook response, no lunch, no walk in the park, no late night talk, am I still OK? Or am I in even deeper because each one of these steps sounds like one I'd take. In fact, I'm really glad that you included "late night talk" because the in-person version sounds like a betrayal, but then again I have late night online chats all the time online. My wife walks in my man cave and sees me typing. She knows I'm chatting. No big deal. But I guess it could be, depending on who I'm texting to and what the content and intent is. Hmmmm. You've got me thinking. Guess that's a good think.
ReplyDeleteSantorio: lol...both a good think and a good thing, that is. ;)
ReplyDeleteBeck: You are alive. You type. You make sense. I'm so glad to hear from you. Hope to hear more soon. Thanks for showing up.
ReplyDelete