Random Gripes: Meetup = Fertile Ground

I generally do well at large social events but I’m not the greatest at networking. I can activate my social skills at will and make it through any situation but I don’t always feel the need to. For this reason, as much as I like to find opportunities to get out and do things, I generally shy away from joining Meetup groups. If I were to form my own group, membership would cap at 10 or 12 people. I have nothing against larger groups but I prefer to create conditions where I can actually get to know the people who are in my social circle. When that circle is upwards of 100, that’s not really a realistic objective. Besides, I view many of these groups as ideal opportunities for lonely men on the prowl to scope out women and therefore, not my idea of a good time. But when K. sent me the invitation to join a large Meetup group, I accepted. Despite the prowling men, the objectives of the group were of great interest to me and I actually like going to events and doing things with my friends. Go figure.

Since joining the group a few months ago, I’ve only managed to make it to two events spread months apart. The most recent event consisted of live music, free appetizers and chocolate. How could I pass that up? This time around, I sent out my own invitations and T. accepted and came along. Now, my friend T. is a flirt. It’s a fact as I know it. She calls it being nice and friendly but I know better. Even though I don’t usually have opportunities to see her in action, I’ve read some of the exchanges that she’s had with members of the opposite sex. Maybe I should be taking lessons from her…but in any case, the girl got skills! At the event, I don’t think it was so much her skills as it was her radiant personality (:-) that had the weirdest guy in the building beeming in on her and latching on as if for dear life!

Mr. Weirdo approached our group with a cheesy “Hey, hey. How you doing?” and proceeded to place his hand on T.’s shoulder and shift her so that he could eyeball the area where her nametag was attached. Above her chest. Not cool! If that were me, the evening might have taken a different turn but T. and I operate differently when faced with situations like this one. So while I tuned him out and returned to my pleasant conversation, she smiled and engaged in polite conversation with Mr. Weirdo. Big mistake! When T. threw out a Hail Mary and tried to engage others in their conversation, Mr. Weirdo wasn’t having it. He kept talking to T. Only. And when she excused herself to use the restroom, he hung around the area looking around, not engaging with others and presumably waiting for her return. And when she tried to keep a low profile and hide behind others, he ferreted her out and asked her where she’d been. When she dared to engage in other conversations, he continually stuck his head in and tried to draw away her attention. But by this point, T. had her blinders on and he was on permanent ignore. Finally, as we were wrapping up our conversations on the sidewalk before heading home, we noted Mr. Weirdo’s exit and saw that he hovered where we stood for a minute before continuing on his way. Whew! As annoying as he might have been, I gained immense pleasure from watching all this. But T. probably was not as amused. Hopefully, she won’t run into him at any future events. Happy Friday!

Between Sleep and Social Life

I’m exhausted! I haven’t had good, quality sleep in at least two weeks. Between entertaining visitors and actually having an active social life, sleep is starting to seem more like a novelty than a necessity. I can’t remember the last time that I slept for more than a few hours at a time, even when I had the time to sleep. This would be okay if I were still fully functional without it. But no, I’m sluggish and it takes twice the effort to perform tasks that I mindlessly complete on a regular basis. But I don’t mind sacrificing a few hours of sleep if I have a good reason and lately, I’ve had some pretty good ones.

First, homegrown friends are always good company but having friends from out of town visit is one of the best reasons for hitting the town. Every night was a late night. And, with events like film festivals, cooking competitions, food tasting and wine consuming, it’s understandable why I would forgo a few hours of sleep. Just the other day I saw an indie film titled The Prospects at the Brooklyn International Film Festival and I highly recommend it. So funny! I was also hoping to see Cost of A Soul but alas, SOLD OUT! From the trailer I can tell that I would have enjoyed it. In fact, I don’t think I have ever been disappointed by any of the indie films that I’ve seen in the past. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I knew absolutely nothing about the film and so went in not knowing what to expect, only hoping for the best. Or it could be that only the best indie films are weeded out from among numerous other submissions before being presented to a wider audience. Unlike the drivel that the Hollywood machine churns out! Whatever it is, I’m all for the independent films that show that quality work is thus in spite of the budget, not because of it.