It's been awhile. Where have I been? I have been at a party. It actually only feels like I have been on a non-stop social bender since Thursday, as the weekend's events were separated into beer-pizza-movie night, housewarming party, block party*, post-housewarming party beer-pizza-movie night, and barbeque. But still, whew. So much traditional Labor Day celebrating!
Although I am not complaining one bit about the generous hospitality of my various hosts, all this socializing has left me limp and drained. Casual conversation does not come easily, and I have to be vigilant in social situations lest I fall into my accustomed mode of sitting very still and watching very intently - I'm here to observe, after all. Unfortunately, this behavior usually either a) makes people nervous or b) convinces my hosts that they are not providing me with enough fun. So to avoid being That Weird Girl I have to give myself little pep talks: "Okay, Hilatron. Here's a person. They're looking at you. You should talk to them, before you both reach that quick-glance-weak-smile-look-away stage. Hurry! What to say? Do you know anything about them? Talk about work maybe? There, that's it. Go ahead, ask how work is going, get them talking. Score!!" Repeat this process times one hundred and I am all pooped out. I did not have my Quiet Time.
Despite my social backwardness, I am fortunate. For starters, I am lucky enough to have the problem of an overflowing social calendar in the first place, with an astonishing variety of talented and exciting people willing to overlook my issues, smile tolerantly, and offer me another snack. I am not the man I encountered on Beacon Street at one in the morning, walking along engrossed in conversation with his stuffed raccoon. I am not the bus driver with the habit of staring blankly into space for an uncomfortably long time before responding to questions such as "Where does this bus go?" I did not die in a fiery crash as a result of said delayed reaction time. I was raised with better manners than to shout "Hey! Want a gin & tonic?" at passers-by of my back-to-school houseparty, only to snicker rudely when they reply "Only if I can pee first." For a That Weird Girl, I'm doing pretty well.
*The block party was so great it almost made me cry. Who would have thought that Button-down Boston would tolerate such a thing, let alone condone it? Yet there were the turntables set up on the porch, the kids getting down to the sexy soul classics, the MacGuyveresque grill apparatus, the liquor in a trash can, the very Irish cop surveying the proceedings with a smile.
Posted by hilatron at September 2, 2003 03:15 PM | TrackBackCome now, you were the life of my broilie-Q. That Weird Girl you will never be.
Posted by: EV at September 2, 2003 03:27 PM