Said, “I can do that”
I think it was Jean-Paul Sartre that said “L’enfer c’est les autres”… well actually I know it was him (I just wanted to sound a bit pretentious). It’s from one of my favorite plays “Huis Clos”. I highly recommend it…Oh yeah... I should probably translate…Hell is others…and what he meant was that Hell is other people. When working in retail and hospitality, I had ample evidence to support that case…after the events of last night, I think I doubtful of that… I would have to say “L’enfer c’est moi”…Hell is me… and here’s why…
Last night (and truly on a whim) I decided to go to a children’s dance recital. Admittedly, one of the reasons that I went was because it was a good excuse to go out for dinner and drinks (Basil- Grapefruit Martini YUMMO). And, the little girl who was dancing in the recital is about as cute as you can get and my bosses daughter. And it beat the crap out of sitting home alone watching hours of Buffy or the Golden Girls…
So here’s why I say Hell is me… I am standing at this recital and looking at these girls (and one token boy) tapping and Arabesque-ing all over the place…I watched all the parents taking photos and videos that would soon be all over facebook. The expressions on all of their faces sickened and depressed me. Here are all these people who for one reason or another are delighted to see their little offspring doing whatever they were doing. And granted, they weren’t amazing little dancers… just normal kids who do what normal kids do..and normal parents/grandparents doing what normal parents/grandparents do (although I use the term normal parents VERY LOOSELY). I realized that the only way for me to experience this is vicariously through people like these. Through friends and extended family. And this isn’t some tirade about “Poor me… I’ll never get married and have kids” I’ve put that demon to bed (and speaking of beds… this issues is an offshoot of the mattress commercial issue). I also am very happy for a friend and his partner who are seconds away from adopting…this makes me happy.. It’s more that the milestones that most people have, I do not…It’s hell because I am the only one putting these thoughts in my head…or maybe I am wrong. Maybe, its societal “norms” and expectations that put them there… I don’t know maybe there is a separate but equal set of milestones for we non-reproductive types…
Things that Rock
THE JUDY SHOW
Getting tickets in the second row for Liza
Spending time with great friends that simply amazing people
THE DROWSEY CHAPERONE at the Ogunquit Playhouse... see it ASAP!
