Consider two separate dates with two different women:
Scenario 1: It was a gorgeous Wednesday before a long weekend. I awoke from a full night’s sleep ready to conquer the world by lunch, and cure cancer by dinner. And I did (almost), giving a very well-received client presentation and setting a personal best on the bench press that morning. The winds of fate were at my back—if I didn’t have a very intriguing first date that night, I should have hit Mohegan Sun’s blackjack tables.
Scenario 2: Weather.com predicted scattered thunderstorms all week—I chose Tuesday because it was one of two free nights in the next two weeks. The PowerPoint slide swam before me, as last night’s four hours sleep were catching up to me. I had tried to hit the weights, but the mental haze was just too strong. I compromised my form on an overhead press and tweaked my trapezius muscle hard. I couldn’t hold my neck straight. I adjusted my collar in the mirror and a zombie stared back. How was I going to make it to—let alone through—that night’s date?
It wouldn’t follow logically that Date #1 ended with a tepid hug, while Date #2 with a passionate sunset kiss on Boston Common and an enthusiastic request for a second date, would it?
Continue reading “Discomfort and Awareness: A Tale of Two Dates”