Homecoming/Small Towns

Situation ONE: The day I drove back to the DC-area was an eventful day. After finally getting my car from the shop for it's finally repair job (Laugh it up Carrie), I stuffed the rest of my crap in the car and hit the road. I found the temporary corporate housing complex around 11pm, an hour before I was suppose to meet my boys Kevin (current my roommate) and Jason. I rushed to unstuff my car and shower off the travel funk off. So I drove to Adams Morgan, an area of eclectic bars and restaurants, and ran into three former college schoolmates. We greeted each other with the normal dap of black men who haven't seen each other in a while and went on about our business. Meet up with my boys, met Jason's girl (and friends) and drank a well deserved Red Stripe (hurray beer!). Here comes another Howard alumnus down the stairs whom with we all greet and hold a conversation. I didn't notice his date/neighbor in the dim and shadowy part of the area where we were standing. Someone slaps me up-side the head from that shadowy part. OF COURSE it's his date/neighbor who I...well... had relations with. They both currently live across the street from me. We talk for a bit and then we all leave. My crew decided to go across the street to another bar when someone else from the past yelled, "MELVIN!" It was yet another classmate from Howard. Amazing. In just 2 hours I ran into three different circles of people form the same University.

Situation TWO: Co-worker Jon and I finally had a chance to have some beers and talk. We met through our mutual friend, Carrie. We'd only been able to talk via email beforehand since we work in different departments and on different schedules. We talk about various drinking stories, work, page design, page designers in the industries we both know, etc. I find out that main person from the area he knows is his cousin Jason. He mentions he is from Northern Virginia. Jon told me Jason's last name and it clicked. We went to high school together. I graduated a year after him I believe.

SITUATION THREE: Ah the salsa spots of DC. Very diverse yet plenty of regulars depend on which spot you go to. We chose Yuca. Weeks before this particular incident we went to Yuca to try it out. It was mad fun and I found that my skills improved (slightly). That first time in Yuca I tried to get the bartender's attention. He looked familiar. He yelled, "MELVIN!" It was an old co-worker from my restaurant days. Amazing. Another circle of people I touched on in a matter of two weeks.

I digress...this particular incident beats all incidents. The second time the crew went to Yuca around the time I get off of work on Saturdays. The intern and I decided to walk since the Post is right down the street. We stop to get some cash and my boys text me, "We're in." I text back, "Cool be there in 10 minutes." I spot my friends as soon as I walk in the club. In trying to dodge spinning chicks and dudes on the dance floor the first person I made eye contact with (in mid-spin) was ANOTHER ...umm.. person I've had relations with! I haven't had that many women in my life to continue to randomly run into them. I tell my boys and they sarcastically react,"NO! we hadn't notice." My immediate response was "[Forget] yall!" Jason's girlfriend said,"I told them to tell you when they texted you." The song ended and she comes over and was surprisingly friendly. Let's just say we didn't leave things on the best terms. It appears that life takes us through things and changes our outlook on other things. So I added her back on my prayer list, danced and chillaxed with my friends and new favorite bartender.

WHAT IS GOING ON! One of the many many reasons for leaving Cincinnati was because of the intersecting circles of people synonymous with living in a smaller town. Does that make DC (area) a small town for me now?

I've been going over it in my head how to descibe coming home. Many have heard me refer to Cincinnati as a small town trying to be a big city. When you walk down the same block and frequent the same bars, clubs, restaurants, and social events for three years you seem to notice the same circles of people. That seems to be true in any city or town. Yet in Cincy you seem to run into the same people circles whether you branch out of the normal spots or not. I hated that. too many people would be in my business. For example, before I could go to a weekly martini night for the first time, people had already knew someone that knew someone that went out with this one, who I use to date, who hates me now and yadda yadda yadda. My efforts to get away from the same circles were as successful as my efforts to "blend in" in that wonderful Midwestern town.

What's killing me is that I realized that I have (one) never been able to run in just one circle of friends. It's boring and doesn't fit my personality. And (two) because of that fact it's more difficult for me to get away from the circles I'm exposed to. The reason I don't feel as trapped as I did in Cincinnati is because there's a plethora of people to hang out with here in this area. Yes, that simple revelation took a few sentences. Forgive me. THANKS for reading. :)
And for a corny ending: It's a small world after all.