Brief Connections

Brief Connections The way I meet people nowis different.Ten years agoeverything was about art, music, poetry, weedAnd how to make one’s apartment smell nice;you know,for the girls who’d stop by. Back then,the first few years out of high schooland after collegethe connections were instant,and to separate from a friend was the worst betrayal.If I could only find so many friends in beer these days. I was waiting at a red lightat 150th and Triskett this afternoonwhen this guy, maybe 16 crosses the street in front of me.“Holy cow! I know that man!”I think to myself.Oh, the dumb feeling when I realized“I don’t know him, I knew his dad… we went to high school together…”kid looked just like his old man. Things were fine when only sales clerks called me sir.Now, everyone does.That, my friends, is depressing. For a moment, thought I had the old feeling tonight,a couple of conversations over a strong ale and a cup of tea;then I realized these things are just moments now,not my real life.There was a girl I metwho choked up at her own writing,said she was twenty – one.A decade ago I’d have hit on her,or at least tried to become that desperate romanticI always dreamt about;there was no such connection tonight. *Wait* There’s this great Erasure song playing… With the proper smoke and mirrors I still feel sexy every now and then,the right song, the proper strong drinkthese things make up for my utter lackof physical charisma. But I drink alone,my wife hates the music I listen toand most people seem weird to me,an introverted extrovert.