The Smart Dating Connection

03/11/10

by Still Looking in Venice

In college, I often worked and took lab-based science courses. This didn’t leave much time for dating. During final exams my freshman year, I spent most of my evenings at the library. While working on an essay for English Comp 101, I frequently had to use the huge dictionary in the middle of the library. Our instructor was extremely particular about proper usage and context.

As it turned out, I often ended up in line either in front of, or behind, the same young man. We struck up a conversation (as much as you can in a quiet zone) which progressed with each rendezvous.

One evening I was disappointed because he was nowhere to be found. I made my regular trips to the dictionary, but they were lackluster without the repartee we had mastered while waiting for erudition by Webster.

An hour after I arrived, in rushed Phil. He went flying past my worktable dropping a foil wrapped package on my table. At first I thought he must’ve accidentally dropped his snack. When I looked more closely, however, I realized it was a gift for me. Inside the well-used foil were a pocket dictionary and a note: “I am supplying you with your own dictionary so you can stop waiting in line and maybe find some time to have dinner with me!” I laughed out loud, much to the dismay of the librarian.

We did have dinner the next evening, and it was wonderful. He was just as entertaining and enchanting as he appeared to be in our short conversations in line (as opposed to on-line today).

I wish I could say it was the beginning of a beautiful romance that is still alive, but I can’t. It was the seventies and I lost my Phil to the drug culture. He dropped out of school the middle of the next semester.

The good news is I was able to follow-up on him years later when I was in his home town, unbeknownst to him. He had finished college and law school and had a thriving practice with his wife as his receptionist. Good for him!

Filed under: Uncategorized