Getting Out

Last night, I had an enjoyable time by myself. It’s the first time EVER I enjoyed a meal at a restaurant by myself. I enjoyed it too much with that extra half liter of beer, Franziskaner on tap. The local MLS team was playing the final leg of the CONCACAF tournament and since I don’t have cable it meant going out. I was a little early which isn’t uncommon for me to see “coverage starts at #:##” and see that as the start time for the actual game instead of just the pregame show. An NBA game was on and there was a dude sitting next to me. He complimented me on my beer choice. He said “cheers” and I was awkward about it. I lifted my glass to him just intending an air-cheers, but he reciprocated leading to tapping the bottom of our glasses in this post-COVID world. I’m fairly sure he was there just for the NBA game that was on. He mentioned briefly living in Munich for several years. I let the conversation go nowhere. I just didn’t feel the vibe. He seemed a little perturbed with the result of the game. My guess was right based on him leaving early and quickly.

Later, during the soccer match a nice lady asked me if the seat next to me had been taken. I said, “No, by all means…” and gestured something with my hands. Off and on through the rest of the match we talked. She asked me why I wasn’t at the game. I rattled off some answers with a few reasons made up on the fly. Honestly, I just never really considered it. She asked me if I played, and I said that I wish I had because I was always a fairly good runner and in soccer height doesn’t matter. Being 5’8″ in basketball doesn’t normally work out. She went on to explain that her son plays soccer and with going into HS next year there is some fear he’s going to get slaughtered being very slender. There was also talk about his position and I expressed it’s a great position to play. In the end, after the game I wasn’t sure if the bond was to where a goodbye should be done or just randomly walk off. I waited for her to leave, and she parted with pleasantries.

It was nice to watch a sports game with other human beings instead of relying on Twitter. It’s nice to be able to let loose some of the emotional tension while having others to relate to in a physical space. In the divorce I lost the one guy I could occasionally watch sports with so I’m in need of a similar relationship with someone else.

Last thing of note, I’m more inspired by the movie, “Metal Lords” on Netflix than I should be as a 37-year-old adult. I can’t figure out what it is about the “coming of age” genre that hits a soft spot in my psyche. I listened to some of my favorite Deth Metal songs this morning. I’m not necessarily in the sort of mood to warrant that music choice. It’s purely about that movie.