Track 0: The Pharcyde - Passin' Me By
So it seems that "busy this next week" has become "busy until the next month". Although it's gotten in the way of me posting on this site, it definitely hasn't stopped me from going on dates.
...Actually, let me amend that last statement. Being busy definitely hasn't stopped me from trying to go on dates. And by "trying", I really mean four rejections, a text message confusion, un-finishing the game, and going on a non-date with a friend...all in a span of about 3 days.
For this first date, instead of focusing on who I was gonna go on a date with, I decided to focus on what I'd do for the actual date. That way, if the date went bad, then I at least did something that I wanted to do in the first place. With that in mind I bought two tickets to a show that I wanted to see. It sounded like a win-win situation to me...but the next sequence of events revealed that there was no situation to even begin with.
Rejection #1: Zia
I had met Zia a few times, but all I knew about her was her name and that she seemed pretty sociable. I bumped into her at a bar, we had a few drinks, and a few successful bouts of flirtatious banter, I got her number. But when I called her to ask her out, it seems she had already been asked by someone else to go to the very same show! No big deal though. After all, I was more psyched about the show itself rather than who I was going to take on this date.
Rejection #2: BSgirl#2
BSgirl#2 is someone I met in school. The first time we met, we talked up a storm. She's smart, witty, and has the cute smile to match. Unfortunately, I'd only see her in passing. So with the show coming up and no number to call, I did what the information age has allowed me to do: I asked her out over e-mail. Yes. Over e-mail. She responded relatively quickly, and seemed very receptive. However, she had already made plans for that night and could not come. No matter. It gave me a reason to ask her out for next time. But who to ask for this time...
Rejection #3: MTA
Time was ticking and I still haven't found a date. MTA calls me out of the blue, saying that she's going to be in the area. I don't know MTA too well, but she's cute and I can hold a conversation with her (and I'm sure she's noticed my flirtatious advances in the past). We meet up for lunch. I ask her out. She has plans and can't make it. This is the third rejection. I start to fear that I've established a lasting trend.
Rejection #4: Sesame Street
With the show just a day away, I start to get desperate. On a whim, I decide to ask Sesame Street. I rarely ever see her, but when we do happen to see each other, she always says how I never call her. So in a moment of desperation, I decide to call her. Same deal as everyone else: she can't make it. As excited as I was about the show, four rejections within a few days is quite discouraging. I decide to give up the "date" aspect of this fiasco and just go with a friend...But Professor X convinced me otherwise.
Text Message Mix-Up
It was the night before the show date and here was Professor X's plan: text message all my girl friends saying that I might have an extra ticket to the show tomorrow, and then go to a bar tonight and try to pick up on some girl to take out to the show instead. If I wasn't successful at the bar, then I would have some friend as a backup. Was it wrong to do this? Arguably yes. Did I feel bad about this plan? Yes. Did I agree to this plan? ...Yes. Apparently, my instantaneously bad karma got the better of me and I fumbled the plan: instead of saying that I *might* have an extra ticket, I text messaged that I *did* have an extra ticket. When I clicked the "send" button, I essentially asked a multitude of girls out all at once. Within seconds, three replied and said yes: Long Island, Prada Bag, and Space Cadet. I was screwed. I needed a drink.
Un-finishing the Game
The guys and I did go to a bar that night. Yes, I did try picking up on a girl. Yes, she was cute. Yes, we talked all night. But just like how I screwed up the text message plan, I also screwed up my chances with Voodoo Doll. However, I'll leave it to Professor X to tell the details of that story. Bottom line: I was dateless.
Non-date With a Friend
I ended up going to the show with Space Cadet. Of all my girl friends, she was the most removed. So the choice was all about drama-aversion. Still, after this entire fiasco, I did have fun. The show was great. Space Cadet is a fun girl to be around. I took a moment to consider if I could actually date Space Cadet: she's smart, fun to talk to, and physically attractive too. But when it comes down to it, people have girl friends for a reason. And though they may possess qualities that you want in a girlfriend, that still doesn't make them girlfriend material.
The Aftermath
They say that when it comes you dating, you just can't care too much. And really, that's what I did. It doesn't bother me that these girls rejected me. It doesn't bother me that I got rejected four times. Rejection is part of the game, and so it's something I gotta accept. In the end, I learned a lot of things about myself. And if I could take something away from the whole experience, then I'm better than where I was before. Maybe the circumstances were wrong. Maybe my timing is wrong. Maybe I myself was wrong. Who knows. But the truth is that these things -- dates, moments of chemistry, possible friendships, possibly something more than a friendship -- they pass you by, and though you may gain something from seizing that moment, you could also gain something of nearly equivalent value by letting it pass you by too.
Until next time...
-- Mixtape