[stylist] New THOUGHT PROVOKER #138- In a Crowded Place

[Judith Bron]

Robert, Crowds still baffle me.  When I go to a crowded affair like a 
wedding I search out the people I know and don't stray far from our table 
while everyone else is busy making the rounds.  Even at the weddings of my 
own children, I dutifully stopped at other tables to say hello and thank the 
people for coming.  The truth is, I don't cope well in crowds.  When I was 
fully sighted it was different, but that was then.  I'm happier having a 
discussion with someone over a cup of coffee or a nice dinner either in my 
house or in a restaurant.  I give you all the credit for venturing out to 
that reunion.  Judith
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Newman" <newmanrl at cox.net>
To: "'NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 9:01 PM
Subject: [stylist] New THOUGHT PROVOKER #138- In a Crowded Place


> Fellow Writers
> RE:  In a Crowded Place
>
> Here is my newest THOUGHT PROVOKER. I'm looking to see how people feel
> and/or function in crowded and/or noisy environments. Any advice? If you
> have not read the PROVOKER, it follows.  Recall that I collect responses 
> and
> post them upon my web site for all the WWW to read and learn from and that
> URL is- Http://thoughtprovoker.info <http://thoughtprovoker.info/>   If 
> you
> wish to receive THOUGHT PROVOKERS sent directly to you, just write me and
> ask, at-  newmanrl at cox.net
>
> THOUGHT PROVOKER 138
> In a Crowded Place
>
> "It's been a hard day's night ---" The familiar lyrics rode the crest of 
> the
> wave of sound washing over me as I opened the door to the hotel bar and I
> knew too well what the next hour or so would bring in terms of
> communication. Sigh.  The event was my 40-year class reunion. I was here 
> to
> find my party, eight guys, my remaining teammates from our senior year
> champion wrestling team. We'd start out in the bar and later move to the
> larger gathering.
>
> Inside, weaving my way among the scattered tables, I moved from one island
> of sound to another, I figure my guys will grab me when I am spotted.
> Chances of me finding them in this environment are slim to none.  The 
> crowd
> is fluid; people standing, sitting, walking about, so the auditory stimuli
> are coming from every direction.
>
> "Robby boy!" the booming, beer-soaked voice directed down upon the top of 
> my
> head had to be Harley, the former heavyweight wrestler, sweeping me up 
> into
> his, now, even weightier embrace. "Com'on, little --- we're over here in
> ---. Let's get you a --- one." I didn't need to have heard all he said, 
> his
> firm grip and drink happy mood carried me along.
>
> "Rob!" "Hey Bat Man how yaa ---" "Bat Ma --- oh invincible one!" A chorus 
> of
> greetings met me at the table. (All of us had special nicknames back in 
> the
> day.  Bat Man had been mine but I'd not heard it spoken aloud for years.
> Harley had been Elephant Man.")
>
> Seated next to Thomas (alias Spider Man), a friend I'd not seen in person
> for nearly 20 years, I asked,  "So Tom, how's life?" Leaning forward,
> positioning my ear to be at the best angle to hear his responses.
>
> "Hey Rob," Super Man's voice projected across the table. It was Jeff, the
> once team captain. "The lady wants to take your order." And thinking she 
> was
> behind, between Tom and me (where I had felt something touch me), I voiced
> my order.
>
> "Rob --- " Jeff yelled again, "she's over here! Ha, and I think she read
> your lips --- a draw, right?"  I gave him a thumbs up.
>
> Getting back to Tom, I said, "Whatever happened to that motorcycle you 
> had?"
> Not getting an answer, leaning closer I could tell he was engaged to 
> someone
> off to his right. Turning to my left to talk to John, the once smallest 
> guy
> on the team, nicknamed Invisible Man, I found him laughing it up with 
> people
> at his end of the table.
>
> After a couple of rounds of drinks and several broken conversations with 
> my
> former teammates, consensus came to move ourselves to the banquet room. 
> We
> made a short stop at that room's cash bar; then, glass in hand, I started
> mixing and mingling prior to sitting down to dinner and speeches.
>
> The music playing in the banquet room came from a string quartet and 
> wasn't
> going to be a problem. The room was large, had high ceilings, a carpeted
> floor, and was set up with enough round tables to seat 1,000. Right off I
> ran into a former girlfriend; we hugged and got caught up.
>
> Free again, I went on the prowl for other old friends. I used the location
> of the music as a point of reference, moving through the scattering of
> tables, listening for any voice I recognized or for someone to yell out my
> name. There were small groups standing and talking or already seated and
> visiting. I'd catch a word or phrase as I passed, even stopping a few 
> times
> to insert myself into the group's space only to find that I didn't know
> them. People, people everywhere, and no one I know to be found anywhere.
> Not even finding my old wrestling buddies, I got more assertive, stopping
> the next person walking by. "Hi, could I ask if you have seen ---" and 
> this
> guy answers, "May I get you another drink, sir? I'm one of the banquet
> staff."
>
>
>
> Robert Leslie Newman
> Email- newmanrl at cox.net
> THOUGHT PROVOKER Website-
> Http://www.thoughtprovoker.info
>
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