There I was AGAIN. I said last year and the year before that–that I wasn’t returning without a man. And yet here I was on one of my favorite stops of “The FABulous Summer” tour…alone.
Now don’t cry for me Argentina, ’cause your girl was feeling muy caliente in an island-inspired top, seasonal staple white jeans and wedge sandals. That is, until I stepped into the Eric Roberson concert and was seated at a table next to a couple. Suddenly my make-up couldn’t hide the fact that I’d much rather be singing a duet than a solo. It was awkward at best, trying not to be a third wheel when parked in the middle of their romantic date. I immersed myself in Facebook so as not to seem so odd, but there is danger in texting while “driving” through life. You miss all that’s around you. So refusing to yield to feelings of inadequacy, I changed gears. I put the phone down, and focused on the lights and the traffic–the beautiful ambiance of the City Winery and the aesthetic of people moving about.
No sooner than I made the conscious decision to stay in my lane and enjoy the ride of singleness, he walked in. Another single was seated right across from me! Several smiles and songs later, it felt like I was out with an old friend. Conversation was easy as were his looks on the eyes. Yet I was proud of myself for not exceeding the speed limit, and instead simply enjoying the night for what it was. I’ll admit my hopes accelerated when we exchanged numbers. But I was truly satisfied when the evening ended with him agreeing to take a selfie for my journalistic posting pleasure.
The next day, after seeing said pic, a girlfriend of mine called and excitedly asked, “Do you know who that was?” Imagine my surprise when she refreshed and connected my social media memory to a real life one. “That’s WILL! The guy I introduced you to…” A few years prior, a phone number exchange was made in an attempt to fix me up with “a really nice guy.” Other than small talk, nothing big ever came of it–not even a face to face meeting. Not a good or bad thing, the “match” making just never quite lit, so no fireworks ensued. His name and the encounter had fizzled from my mind completely.
But what are the odds of meeting him years later? The old writer in me jumped for joy–this is the stuff good love stories are made of. But new wisdom as a result of one too many dead ends has taught me to guard my heart against false car alarms. *chirp chirp
I still had a great time. In addition to being one of the best concerts ever, I was shown that God can do anything. Even with all of the many people, places and things in the world, He can align His GPS and place me right in front of “the one” if and when He wants to. Time will tell what happens, but I think I’m finally ok either way. I want it to be His “Will,” not mine.
