After having spent most of my adult life married, I am now in the middle of learning how to be single again. Right after my split, I pretty easily rediscovered how to live alone (which happens when my daughter spends time with her father). After facing a few weekends with absolutely nothing to do, I learned to make plans ahead of the weekend like any single person with a full, active life. Now I'm learning where the single people are.
Tonight after kickboxing, I stopped by a Trader Joe's in a younger, more single part of town. Filled with sweaty men buying dinner after working out, this "Swingles Trader Joe's" is the exact opposite of my regular Trader Joe's, which I will refer to as the "Bitter Old People Trader Joe's."
Since I go to Bitter Old People Trader Joe's about every other day, I am all too familiar with the type of people who shop there. They are the bitter retired couples who wage their daily wars of attrition while grocery shopping. The question of whether to buy peaches or not becomes an opportunity to express the longtime contempt each has for the other. "We're not getting peaches. They're no good," she complains. "I don't care. I want peaches," he fires back. Their skirmishes of mutual contempt continue throughout their entire depressing visit.
So, imagine my surprise when I walked into Swingles Trader Joe's tonight. The atmosphere was entirely different -- like a singles cruise that sells groceries. Men flirted with me in the produce section and the dairy aisle and during checkout. It felt like everyone was single and looking. It was kind of disconcerting, since it was so unexpected. And, Dude with the Amish facial hair: you were charming, but no, I can't
overlook the Rumspringa growing on your chin.
Still, I'm not sure I'm going to be going back regularly. Parking is a bitch at Swingles Trader Joe's, but only a minor inconvenience at Bitter Old People Trader Joe's. As someone who lives her life trying to avoid turning left, ease of parking just might trump fun Love Boat atmosphere.
You named it: I avoid turning left, too! And I harbor harsh criticisms against people who do. Metaphorically speaking, they really are saying the world needs to stop for them.
ReplyDeleteBut you were wrong to judge Jedidiah the way you did. Give him a chance. Just don't have a cream soup on your first date.