Too Many Choices
My neighbor Roy was down at the new watering hole the other day trying to decide between the 3 dozen microbeers they have going stale on tap. So many choices, so little time …. Finally, after inquiring about a couple of their options with the bartendress who really didn’t know much of anything about any of them other than reading the name off the tap, Roy asked her what she preferred. Roy is single and probably thought it would give him a leg up on a possible dating opportunity if he ordered same as her.
So what if she’s 20 years younger, drinking the same beer is one rung up the ladder of shared ‘likes’. Now, if she liked to fall asleep on the couch watching ESPN after a hearty dinner of peanuts, Doritos and vodka tonics, Roy was in like Flint, a match made, if not in Heaven, somewhere this side of internet dating.
“Bud Lite,” she told him, beer of choice. “Bud Lite?” he repeated, sorely disappointed. It was as if he’d gone to a white linen restaurant, asked his waitress what was good this evening, and been told Big Macs. With fries. Roy told me he actually considered ordering a Bud Lite so as not to hurt her feelings. Roy — as you can see — is a Sensitive Man. Although his first wife, and second one too, might disagree. He met them both in bars late at night in Stanwoodopolis. Poor lighting, I guess, or lack of competition. A relationship probably lasts longer built on more than a shared thirst, but then, I’m not a marriage counselor.
Roy finally decided he’d just go somewhere else to find a beer. Maybe he noticed her wedding ring or maybe it was just too many unknowns on all those taps. Down at the South End we like to keep it simple, but not too simple.
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Tags: Dating on the South End, Hitting on the Bartender, Mating Call of the South Ender
This is a dilemma that requires the keen mind of a Donald, in this case of the Rumsfeld variety.
You’ve got your known known beers, like Bud Lite.
Among the dozens of microbrews you’ll find some known unknowns, that is you may recognize the name of the brewery, but not the particular variety on tap.
And then there are the unknown unknowns, mystery beers labeled with brand and brewery names conjured from the ethers like those of acoustic indie rock bands, maybe Rock Paper Scissors, or Tempus Forget. Pick an unknown unknown beer and you might be rewarded with the thrill of victory, or equal odds you’ll order the swill of defeat.
WWDRD? What would Donald Rumsfeld Do? He’d philosophize, categorize, then let Dick Chaney order. And like a marriage when the glass is half empty, or half full and the arguments begin, every earlier choice would have been the wrong choice anyway.
Thank god the bars are closed now in this state. Makes life a lot simpler for me and the boyz….