Feeling like a fish out of water

Why is it that when men get together, who don't know each other well, and have nothing much in common, they can immediately find common ground by talking sports. Women don't really do that. We stand around, sipping our drinks and mumble polite niceties and ask about children and marital status. I mean, I am not leading off with "how about that Agassi, did you see his great come back over Blake the other night?" Men on the other hand can carry on lively conversations with total strangers within two minutes of meeting each other, as long as they have the common denominator of golf or baseball..."how about those Cubs, anyway?"

We went out last night to a party in San Francisco that I didn't really want to attend. It was a birthday party for a guy that my husband had worked with several years ago and I vaguely know him and his wife. For me, there is no great chemistry with these people. Besides that, we had been up early to attend one soccer game and then driven an hour and a half to attend another. By the time we returned home mid afternoon, my idea of a lovely Saturday evening did not include dressing up, taking the BART and attending a party where I knew absolutely nobody. But, I did it because my husband really felt that we should go. So, tired as I was, I made the effort. I figured it was only fair, seeing as my husband is a good sport and will go just about anywhere with me, including to parties where everyone speaks Italian and he is the only one that doesn't! Turn about is fair play.

We took the BART to reach the city and got off at Civic Center. Looking at the map, to me, it seemed that the place where the party was being held was just a couple of blocks away. So, I suggested that we save the cab fare and hoof it. BIG mistake. What looked like short innocent city blocks, in reality turned out to be LONG menacing city blocks, and up and down hills to boot. San Francisco after all is a HILL town!!! So, there I was in my pointy sequined backless shoes, that while they are comfortable walking across the living room floor, are decidely NOT comfortable traipsing across the city of San Francisco. I started to get a little crabby, but couldn't complain too much, seeing as it had been my idea to walk in the first place.

When we finally got to the party, loud music was blaring and people I had never seen before in my life were milling about. We were greeted with enthusiasm by the host and hostess; but truthfully, I wasn't feeling like investing too much into these people, that I probably would not ever see again. We were starving, and hadn't eaten dinner. However, the appetizer trays, by the time we arrived, were looking pretty shabby. Still, we filled our plates and drank our wine and my husband introduced me to his golfing friends and ex-work mates. The sports stories warmed their blood and they carried on like frat buddies. I smiled politely at the other women, who all seemed to know one another and have history with each other. Interesting to see the workings of a social internet that I am not quite a part of. They say everyone has a story, and if you scratch hard enough you can find amazing things about people that you just never would have suspected by looking at them. I know that. But, I just wasn't in the mood, I guess last night. I was happy to observe. Kind of like watching fish swim around in a fish bowl, with me being the one on the outside looking in.