COFFEE WITH A STRANGER

OMG, 76 years old!  I'm going on a date!  "Mom, don't panic, you aren't getting married, you are just having coffee with a stranger."   Haha, very funny, remembering what my parents said about strangers.

Arriving at the large, well-lit and many peopled cafe I had suggested,  I didn't see anyone resembling the profile picture  posted on the dating site. ( What's new? )  Oops, wait a minute! Here comes a nice smile from a good looking, well dressed man.  Yikes, it's my date and he is an artist.  As I was thinking this isn't so bad, this well spoken gent from a privileged family was working his way down hill.  

We were conversing about art, Edward Hopper's late exhibit, mutual art friends and out of the blue he said, "I hope you aren't one of those people who love huge family get togethers."  Sorry, Smiley, I have the largest extended family in America and I love it when we are all together!

Tweedy, that's me, did you read his profile?  No kids, red flag.  Oh,oh his profile answer to "do you drink" read, NEVER! Red flag.  Sure enough, Smiley's baggage included two divorces, loss of his job and no drinks for thirty years.....the latter, of course, being a plus.

Okay, I didn't flinch.  When asked, I said I was spiritual, liked to go to church, but didn't go regularly and that I had been raised Episcopalian.  He said about the same and that he had also been brought up Episcopalian. After a few awkward moments of silence and rolling his eyes, Smiley started to chuckle and running his hands over his face exclaimed, "Thank Heavens you aren't Catholic!"

My daughter was right!!! I am not getting married.