Wednesday, February 17, 2010

stages of a really bad blind date

  • shock oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy
  • clamped-down desire to laugh that is partly social anxiety I need to find somewhere to giggle - I have to go to the Ladies' and giggle
  • desire for audio-visual documentation this feels like a movie - this is a movie - the view from my eyes right now is from a movie montage of bad dates - I need a camera - I need a better cell phone - I need a texting plan - nobody is going to believe this
  • panic how am I going to get through this - I am trapped - I want to gnaw my foot off
  • first soft-pedaled reference to made-up significant other about to re-enter the dating picture "Well, my ex showed up again recently..."
  • anger why do I have to sit through this? why am I saddled with this person?
  • obsessive focus on unfortunate physical detail shaving soap on chin shaving soap on chin
  • pity ungh
  • genuine but stiff-arming politeness that belies core rudeness and reveals nothing about yourself "Tell me more about your ____"
  • second reference to made-up significant other "I'm not sure what's going to happen there..."
  • silent effort at commiserative connection with waitstaff by signaling deeply with eyes help help help
  • emotional disassociation from alarming personal detail omg he collects used emery boards and Mork suspenders ... la la la
  • SUDDEN EXPANSIVE SENSE OF FATALISM AND HUMANITY'S INTER-CONNECTEDNESS what the bloody hell, this is just some person I'm sitting across from - why am I taking any of this personally - EGO ego ego ego - who am I to insult with my pity - stop acting fourteen years old - oh ego ego ego ego ego
  • loss of memory about reason for being there accompanied by receding sense of risk I can survive talking to this person a little longer
  • sense of breathing room as end in sight they are bringing the check - I am going to make it
  • stinging moment of rejection that is mercifully vague he just figured out I don't want to see him again gah gah gah...la la la
  • loss of memory of date's name
  • relieved glee as you are sprung "Taxi!"
  • another surge of hilarity hee!
followed by
  • WHAT THE HELL

1 comment:

Demandra said...

Hilarious! I mean, painful and awful, sure, but hilarious!