Love story, maybe

Last night Andrew and I drove up to Twin Peaks to look at the sunset. In front of us, the following scene unfolds:

Guy – Hey. You’re in my time lapse.

Girl – So sorry! (starts getting up.)

Guy – Don’t worry about it. It’s a feature.

Girl laughs.

Guy – Alison?

Girl – (Freaked out) Yes. How did you know?

Guy – Are you Alison? (Removes his hat and glasses.) It’s Chuck!

Girl – What? Chuck!

I (excitedly) point out we are in the presence of a nascent romance: two people who knew each other long ago find each other at sunset 10 years later. 

Naturally, Instead of looking at the view, we watch them. We hope to witness them inching closer together, possibly kiss.

We get hungry and end up leaving before we find out how the story unfolds.

Over dinner we toast to love.

It's not hope

I don't think that hope was what was left at the bottom of Pandora's box. Hope implies the expectation that things will turn out a desired way. I believe that what we find is instead a mix of trust + faith + surrender. A blind sense that it will all work out even if we don't yet know exactly how. I bet something got lost in translation.

Soul Mate

On the bus today I overheard two women talking really unfavorably about another. I was going to post a transcript of the exchange but decided it made me sad.

I can't imagine why we'd resort to tearing each other down when the greatest gift we have ever been given is each other. Girlfriends are soul mates.

You can be different

On the bus -

Boy - (Pointing at ad with photo of a family) Mommy! I want to be like that!
Mom - We are, honey! We are like that!
Boy - But they are all smiling!
Mom - We smile too! We are happy!
Boy - But there is a dad. There is a dad in the photo.
Mom - You can be different from that and be just as happy. We can take a photo with uncle Charlie.

Moms tend to be right, kid.

Contortionist

I'm on a very crowded bus. I get to talking to the guy crammed next to me. His name is Xzisto and he's a vegan singer hip hop dancer contortionist who works in circus burlesque acts. His troupe is called Tourette's without Regrets. 

Just when I thought I couldn't love San Francisco any more.

Not ready

On bus:

Girl 1: If he says he's not ready to move in, he's not that into you.
Girl 2: what if he's just not ready to move in?
Me: There's a way to tell.
Girl 2: Tell!
Me: Is he there for you in other ways?
Girl 2: yes.
Me: I know you want him to want to move in. But are you ready to move in?
Girl 2: hmmm.
Me: Are you into him, yet think you should wait a bit?
Girl 2: yes.
Me: Then so is he.

And that is how I was hugged by a stranger on the bus.

All wrong

The guy next to me is swaying wildly to the music on his headphones and sipping rum spiked coconut water. 

Suddenly I realize I've got it all wrong. 

I mean, I'm just riding a bus home after a long day at work. He's partying on a tropical island.