I was flying home from a fantastic vacation in New Hampshire and had chosen a window seat right before the middle section of the plane. Passengers were still boarding. Out of a little egocentric anticipation, I patiently waited to see what two delightful characters would fill the remaining two seats next to me. A tall brunette without make-up or flattering attire chose the non-awkward seat on the aisle. Oh! Everything gets far more interesting… the chances of me getting a neighbor that is some unfortunate lonely soul without option for another seat just increased ten fold. God forbid. I crossed my fingers for something less dull and with that action it occurred to me- it was entirely MY decision as to who might take this cold filling-of-the-sandwich seat!
I scanned the train for interesting looking people (and by interesting I mean some young cute guy that looks single). Here's our food for thought: Whether on a beach boardwalk or unfamiliar shopping mall or crowded sidewalk, why do we look among the strangers as if we're about to spot someone and be hit by lightning and know immediately that they're the one??
I know I'm not the only one out there, and even with a boyfriend who I am quite fond of, there is some intrinsic persuasion to let my eyes search the faces. Those of you who are practicing aficionados of the sex-scanning, you'll understand particularly well the body language that becomes part of this game. So here it goes, the first and only good-looking male that looks within 6 or 7 years of my age gets on the plane and is without company. Splendid! What's in my favor for this situation is that he's already looking around to see what seats are left and is only coming closer to my row. So I let my eyes float towards his direction… match his scanning rhythm and catch him right at the glance that feels accidental because of the brief click and hold and release. An almost instantaneous process and yet my work is halfway done already!
Closer… one more visual capture and it'll remove all doubt that the first time wasn't accidental. I look up, with especially open eyes and less wandering and look back down before he does. Next thing I know he's putting his bag in the overhead compartment and asking the coffee-shop girl if the seat on her left is taken. Great success. But phew after all that work… I kick back and enjoy the novel I've brought along for the ride and leave the ball in his court. Towards the later part of the flight conversation is started with giggles and pokey comments. Ain't it cute that I sat there all content with my book and jacket for a pillow and he gets to sit right there and observe it all since the plane magazines are apparently have no appeal to his taste of reading entertainment.
The plane lands and he maintains his friendliness in assisting me with getting my bag down and pushing back the line waiting to get off so I could exit first. How sweet!
Once off the plane I couldn't have cared less if I didn't see him another minute. I have higher social expectations of my future Prince Charming and despite any little-girl dramatic fantasy that pictured him turning out to be someone I really wanted to get to know, I lost interest and blamed the eye language to be too fun and a cruel tease to this young man's impulsive hopes.
Didn't I know that to begin with that being so prepared for a quick stroke of luck practically ruined my chances of getting one? Why do we bother with these immature games of tease and chase if we really don't intend on taking them anywhere? Am I really just a person who gets some sort of thrill out of winning like that? The fact of the matter is, people like to pretend to be in love. They like to think that their lives will never be excluded from realms of chivalry and love at first sight. No matter how futile an encounter may be, as long as basic attraction remains present, the single bird can get their quick fix of love and fly off back to their single homes. Is there anything wrong with this toying? Is it not the emotional version of a one night stand where pithy guilty pleasures are satisfied?
Perhaps it's like the first lines of the movie Crash where the narrator speaks of how everyone is rushing about their cookie cutter lives moving farther and farther away from intimacy until one moment the gravity breaks and they just crash into someone else. Who will you crash into?