early May

My friend Erika's birthday was earlier this month. Unfortunately, I had to miss the dinner gathering she put together to celebrate the occasion. I wish that I could have attended, but I was visiting Nate in Columbus, Ohio. This reminded me of Erika's birthday a number of years ago when she put together a dinner at a Mexican restaurant near the Chase Avenue Target store. I can't think of the name of the restaurant right now. In any case, Erika's birthday always comes at a time of the year when I have a lot of work events such as lunches, cocktail receptions, dinners, etc. Late April and early May mean a lot of work-related events for me where I have to make small talk with people who I don't really care about.

So when Erika had this birthday dinner at the Mexican restaurant, I was looking forward to an evening where I could be with my friends, not have to make small talk, and I wouldn't be working; I could just be myself. Unfortunately for me, more than 20 people came to the birthday dinner. I got stuck at work and arrived a few minutes late. By the time I arrived, all of my friends were sitting on one end of the table where there were no empty seats. I got stuck at the other end of the table with these friends of Erika's that I didn't really know. And I had to make small talk for a couple of hours with some people who were not my friends. All the while I could see my friends down on the other end of the table having a grand old time. I remember talking for what seemed like an eternity with this woman who had her hair in dreadlocks. She told me all about how she did (or I should say did not) wash and care for her hair in dreadlocks. I had no connection with these people and didn't really care to make one. Needless to say, it was a long evening.

I think that if this happened now, I'd move my chair over to my friends and force them to make room for me.

All of which reminds me of a song that my dad's side of the family always sings to the youngest member:

"Move over and make room for [Name]
He doesn't take very much space.
For [Name] is one of our favorite friends
We surely can find him a place.
Move over, move over,
As quick as a wiggety jig
We'll always move over for [Name]
For [Name] is not very big."