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Standing on the Sidelines
My sweet next-door neighbor invited me to a party this weekend to celebrate his son’s first birthday. It’s at a park nearby, so I thought I’d walk over with my dog, for a very brief hello. When I RSVP’d, “I’ll drop by,” my neighbor pressed me to stay and make an afternoon of it. It would be rude to say no. So I’m guessing it’ll be a crowd of parents with their toddlers, the balloon-maker, then me, clinging to the perimeter.
Image: Tetrarch, 2009, Christopher Bucklow. At Danziger Projects through October 23.
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Don’t succumb to the pressure. Your neighbor does not realize how painfully bored you will be and genuinely thinks you will have fun if you stay around. One of great things about the single life is being the master of your time and how you spend it. A birthday party of screaming, sugar-crazed kids falls into my personal hell mural category, but I’m willing to stop by, express my good wishes, and then escape. Don’t feel obligated to stick around, no matter how well-intentioned the invite is.
Cheers!