The Party Guys

I like smart guys. Guys who are thinkers. Guys who are responsible. Guys who's idea of a hot time on the old town tonight is dinner out at a restaurant where my food is being served to me on an actual plate, but where my jeans are appropriate attire. And, no, I don't want to go to a movie. I'd rather just go home after dinner.

So, given this, why is it that for 25 years it has been the party guys that are attracted to me? I don't even know how I meet party guys. I haven't been in a bar in... well... I can't recall when I was last in a bar... probably before I was old enough to be in a bar. But the party guys find me. They find me at the local deli, in airports, and at the grocery store. They approach me on the Paris subway, the Paducah library, at the local greenhouse, and at the carwash. They talk to me in museums, Wal-mart parking lots, on the streets of Luxor and in downtown Hutchinson. How can this possibly be?

As I was being hit on today while washing my car I was thinking about the various places party guys have found me. I'm sure I'll think of others - these were just some of the more memorable ones off the top of my head. Speaking the same language isn't even necessary - maybe "party" is the same in any language.

What is it about me that attracts party guys? With smart guys I almost always have to make the first move, or give them lots of encouragement. And at some point in the relationship we generally have a conversation about how they were afraid of approaching me. What is it about me that is so off-putting? It's not in effect with the party guys. They're not afraid. They think I'm one of their kind - ready to party.

Why is that? I'm really rather conservative in my dress. I don't go around talking about partying, because I don't. Admittedly, there have been times in my life when I was "with the band" - let me clarify - not the ENTIRE band, just one guy in the band. OK, there was a time when I was IN the band, but that was a long time ago. I had my younger and wilder days but they were so long ago surely I'm not giving off those signals anymore. And, even then I didn't really find it the most fun thing. It was just "the season" for it. I kept thinking I'd figure out the fun part of it but I never did.

I'm a homebody - content to be in my studio painting or at the computer writing. I like to go out to eat with friends, have people over, bake, work on my house, have good conversation, garden - all very mundane. But somewhere in this there is something screaming, "Hey, party guy, lets have some fun." I cannot imagine what that is.

When I ask the party guys the response is always something along the lines of, "oh, you just exude fun." OK, party guys don't generally know words like "exude," because words like that went the way of various mind altering substances long ago, but, that's the sentiment.