Off the track and into the lion cage

So last night my girlfriend and I went to a social networking event for young professionals. Sounds like a wild time, yes?

We knew there would be wine, canapes, and Eternity. There was that…and lots of women. I would say the ratio was 3:1.

The organizer made her way through the crowd taking photos. She asked a group to the left of us. To the right. In front. Behind. Each time excusing her way past us. We began to develop a complex. The pattern then became obvious…she was targetting men. We later learned she wanted to present a gender-balanced impression online to attract more men. That logic is certainly lost on me. Most guys I know know a little bit about gambling…they like 3:1 odds.

We looked around careful not to make eye contact with the wrong person. Oops. Too late. One fellow approached us wearing a blazer 2 sizes too big and with cooldude oakleys on his head. Quickthinking E excused herself to the ladies' room, and I in toe. He was not a fair sample of the male attendees, but possibly offered the best material.

We mingled. We sampled. 3 wines and their pairings. Although, 2 of the 3 canapes were not kosher, and so E turned out to be a very hungry young professional. Alas, after we lost the door prize draw of the Calvin Klein Eternity gift pack (I was robbed!) we bee-lined it to our favourite sushi joint and soaked up some more good conversation.

I'm glad we went. I suppose we could have skipped the entry fee, gone to a bar and ordered-in sashimi, but where's the experience in that? Trying new things is what this solitary life should be all about. This is about me. This is about defining who/what that is. Not in the context of another.

And that, my friends, is the moral of this story. Kinda.