Before I go into the events of the evening, I want you to know that it didn’t happen the way you may expect. I didn’t follow a particular structure, no lines or stories. I didn’t go out expecting to meet someone. Life just kinda happened.

Context/Setting: Thursday night (Dec 5th). A couple of friends and I go to a concert at a small, intimate bar in Deep Ellum (Dallas, TX).

We arrive about 30 minutes early. The opening act was still performing on stage. As we found a good place to stand amongst the crowd, I excused myself, so I could grab a drink at the bar. As I approached the bar, I spotted a girl, let’s call her Lady May.

Lady May was ordering herself a drink and I positioned myself directly to her left. As I lay my hands down onto the edge of the bar, we make eye contact for a split second before I did what I normally do...I looked away immediately.. she turns to her friend on her right... I order my drink (tequila mule) and as I waited I thought about how this was the perfect opportunity to JUST SAY SOMETHING... Anything at all... 20 seconds of courage blah blah blah... I was lost in my mind, like in some sort of Walter Mitty like trance... I was snapped back to reality when the bartender shouted “open or close?”.

The curtain in my mind opened and I chose to take action... Moving as if I was going through some pre-rehearsed dance... I gave the bartender a thumbs up to indicate ‘open’. I turn around, look to my left, tap Lady May’s shoulder. She turns to me and I said “hey, what’s up?”. The smile she gave me was the only thing I needed to proceed.

We began to talk but we weren’t just talking. We were COMMUNICATING. I asked questions, she answered and hit me with a questions of her own. True back and forth.. the kind of interaction that is far and few between.. I was talking to someone who just got me.. I knew things were going well, so I simply told her I thought she was cute and would love to see her again in the future. She agreed, and she handed me her phone to input my number. Before I fell asleep that night I had received two messages from her explaining that it was nice to have met me and she was looking forward to round 2.... we have our first official date tonight. Wish me luck!

I think the moral of this story is that sometimes life just works out in your favor. You just have to be willing to open up, to be vulnerable and to just put yourself out there.

“Life, uh, finds a way” -Dr. Ian Malcolm ———————————————————-

Update#1: Quick update for anyone still reading... I’m currently typing this as I walk through unfamiliar hallways in search of my truck. I had parked it somewhere in the downstairs garage. Some would call this a ‘Walk of Shame’ but in this moment I feel happy... I walked into the night with no expectations or obligations other than investing my time and attention into this person for the night and see where that gets me.

The is a popular brewery/arcade in the design district of Dallas, named Cidercade. We chatted over glasses of Sangria, raced on the streets of Mario Kart and shredded “hit me with your best shot” on GuitarHero. We talked, we joked, we laughed, we stayed in the moment together. Well it got me back to her place. Sleeping together wasn’t the ultimate goal, but it happened.

Even now as I arrive at my truck, I don’t feel the need to raise my hands in triumph or shout from the rooftops. I just smile and write because I experienced a little bit of the good side of living. The side of chance and risk, but with it came reward. It happened to me, it can happen to you. Make yourself available to the world. Say yes the next time an opportunity arises to go out because you never know who’s on the other side waiting to meet you. You owe it to yourself.