Accidental Ambivalence

Seen and Heard: Piano Bar

There is, I think, something to be said for getting into the swing of things with blogging. Back when I was doing it every day, I constantly found things that were interesting enough to write at least a couple of paragraphs about. Lately, however, I’m finding nothing interesting enough to even tell another person when I'm struggling for conversation, let alone interesting enough to type out and expect you kind people to read.

That being said, Tuesday nights at Piano Bar are becoming my favorite time to people watch. When you go out to a bar, there’s the first hour or so when you haven’t had so much to drink that you’re completely self-absorbed, but you also don’t feel that everyone else should be paying attention to you either. I have come to realize that this is the best time of the night to observe all of those crazy people around me. I am eavesdropping* on conversations and watching the way that those people around me interact, and I believe that Wednesday posts should now be devoted to my people-watching adventures.**

Last week, Gallagher’s roommate, Harrison*** and I, stood at the side bar, sipping beers and watching a girl fight with her boyfriend. Apparently the boyfriend had stood up the girlfriend for going out that night. Frustrated, she told him that she was going to stay in, then changed her mind and headed to P Bar with her friends. Assuming that the girlfriend wasn’t going to change her mind, the boyfriend – clearly a winner, let me tell you – decided to go ahead and take his date to P Bar. When he walked in and saw the girlfriend, he didn’t even pretend that it was a mix up or a mistake; he owned the fact that he was with another girl, was already drunk, and didn’t understand why the girlfriend was so upset. The two spent thirty minutes having a very drunken fight where he told her that he wanted to hit her – Harrison was waiting for it happen so he could then hit the boyfriend. Any time the two of them weren’t fighting, he kept looking me up and down.**** I was grossed out, but the exchange was amusing.

Sitting at the tables with our group later, I glanced over at the front bar and saw a couple standing there with their tongues down one another’s throats. Seriously. Harrison saw, started giggling like a thirteen-year-old girl, and proceeded to give me the play-by-play so I wouldn’t have to turn to look. Eventually the guy decided that standing at the crowded bar was not the best place for making out and declined to partake any further. The girl he was with didn’t feel the same way. The evening ended with her in tears, following him down the street outside the bar.

Here’s my question though: If you’re going to fight with your significant other, aren’t there better places to do it than a loud, crowded bar? At some point, don’t you decide that it’s time to go home to fight? Or do these people just lack that filter that tells them that the things they are doing aren’t socially appropriate?

I’m going to take the time someday to write the stories of all these people, the way that I imagine them playing out. I think it could make for an interesting collection of stories. I am now officially taking title suggestions for the collection.

* This is not unusual for me. I'm nosy and listen to lots of conversations. I figure that if people didn't want to be heard, they would find more private places to have these conversations.
** At the P Bar. Except for when I don't go to P Bar. Then I will find something else to eavesdrop on and share with you.
*** Harrison amuses me endlessly. He is a sports-obsessed, ice cream-loving guy who would probably walk through fire to save someone who was in trouble.
**** I wore the gray dress again. Apparently it's also a magnet for icky boys.

Labels: eavesdropping, piano bar

posted by nicalyse @ 2:37 PM