Suddenly Single

When I am here, I wake up, turn on the coffee pot, stumble to the ocean, wade in up to my knees, and fall face down in the water. I think that this is the way that God intended us to wake up. The ocean is like a huge body kiss! Not quite an orgasm but as close as it gets.

Except for today. I stumbled to the ocean, waded in up to my knees, and fell into the arms of Rick and Cook. They are old friends who live on the west coast and both make me laugh a lot. I've stayed with them in their house during my travels and they are two of the nicest people that I've ever met. Plus they are funny. Both are very different, you would never put them together, but they make me laugh. We spent time together last night and they had me laughing before I was even standing in the water.

"Mike, I have a question," Rick begins. I am convinced that Rick talks in his sleep. He is never at a loss for words.

"What?"

"Well, you are here alone, but you have two towels and you make up two chairs when you are on the beach. What is up with that?"

"Ah, thank you for asking Rick. I am making it up for the beautiful woman who is going to be laying beside me."

"Who?" Rick asked with his eyes growing wide. Cook leaned in to listen.

"Uh, I don't know yet but I am planning for when she shows up."

They burst out laughing.

In reality I had the exact same conversation with my Irish Catholic friends and Jeremy. We were at the bar in the Athens Holiday Inn when Walter asked if I was going to Colorado alone. His wife doesn't want to go and he doesn't want to be a fifth wheel and he knows that I am going and I am single.

"No, I am not going alone," I told him. "I just don't know who is going with me yet."

The room exploded in laughter and Walter said "Excuse me" and turned his chair around. (Jeremy can validate this conversation as Irish Catholic males are not especially trustworthy.)

A few months ago I was at dinner with my Irish Catholic friend Bill, and Charlie and somebody else at Rocks on the River. Bill was making introductions. "This is my friend Micheal. He is suddenly single!"

They laughed and I just looked at Bill. He had been suddenly single a few times in his life and is an expert at recognizing it when he sees it. So he saw me and recognized it when I didn't.

Then the most expert suddenly single person that I know is Johnny O. He has been suddenly single three-and-a-half times and he has been coaching me through this transition.

So last night on the dance floor I realized how suddenly single I am. I was dancing as I always do. She was pretty with long brown hair and I was throwing her around and catching her by her hand, when she crashed into me and kissed me long and deep in the middle of a crowded dance floor. Suddenly single suddenly had deeper meaning than it did before. Serendipity indeed.

So we danced through the night. Then we took a beach walk. And now I am trying to wake up but Rick and Cook are making it fun.

And they tell me that I am going to need more towels. So today I am getting four. By the time that Hugh and Conner get here, I may be way too busy for them. After all, being suddenly single means that I am a very busy man.