Waiting in Vain

I want to write this while I'm still high on the caffeine I had at dinner and still in rather good spirits about this whole ridiculous evening.

Okay, so I realized that one of the major requirements I have when deciding if I will go out again with a guy is this: HE HAS TO ACTUALLY SHOW UP.

That's right, yours truly got stood up. I'm actually not entirely sure that I got stood up, but more I think that I am the victim of some kind of elaborate prank. About a week ago, about two weeks into talking to a guy on Match, his grammar changed and actually declined in quality...mostly I noticed that he kept writing "your" when he meant "you're." Now, I'm not perfect, but I AM an English Major, and the "your/you're" thing is one that bugs me a lot, and so I noticed it and I noticed that it was a change from prior e-mails.

But I let it go...wanting to be less judgmental than in the past and give someone the benefit of the doubt...after all, just because someone uses bad grammar doesn't mean that he's a bad person. It also doesn't mean that I have to date him.

Anyway, so, earlier this week this guy, otherwise known as "The Marine Biologist," asked me out to dinner for Saturday night. We went back and forth about location (decided on Walnut Creek) and time (we settled on 7, so that I would have time to go to church). On Wednesday, he said that 7 was fine and asked for my cell number just in case. On Thursday, I replied, thanking him for being flexible about the time, giving him my cell number and asking for his in return.

Saturday (that is, today) arrived...I had passed on a date with someone I might actually really like to give this guy a chance. Fresh my receiving communion, I headed to WC, got a bit lost and STILL arrived a couple of minutes early. For those of you who know my usual inability to get anywhere even remotely close to on time, arriving early would surely wow you. Although, I'm getting better. I degress.

So, I finally found parking, walked to the restaurant, and waited outside for a few minutes. He didn't arrive and was now a couple of minutes late. So, I went inside, looked around, didn't see him, asked the waitress if he had already checked in, got a vague response about how I could walk around the restaurant and look if I wanted to, walked back out, had a brief conversation with an elderly woman about what kind of restaurant that was across the street, and finally decided to go look in the bookstore across the way for a few moments to give Mr. So not getting a second date to show up.

I went in the bookstore, listened to a six year old try to persuade his mom to buy him a book his dad said he couldn't have, "Dad said I couldn't have it, but I thought you might let me." Mom's reply: "I'd like you to read literature but we'll see." And another between a mother and her teen daughter who had apparently stolen three dollars out of her wallet, "If you try to buy anything with that money, I will tell the cashier that you stole it from my walllet, wouldn't that be lovely?"

Full on literary genius, I walked back across the street for another wait. Nope. No Marine Biologist, no message on my phone. I went into the restaurant for a second and final time. Waited another few minutes outside and finally headed back to my car.

I thought he might call just as I was leaving, or just as I got on the freeway. But no. This guy never called at all.

But then I went to dinner with my parents, had a vanilla coke and tuna melt, heard Irene say swear words just to cheer me up, unexpectedly talked on the phone with Ryan, walked the track at Relay for Life, talked to Irene in a very loud voice about things I shouldn't talk about in public but will blame later on the caffeine high, and will probably come crashing down from the caffeine any moment.

For the first time in a long time, though, I believe that I did not get what I deserve. I don't deserve bad treatment, and I certainly don't deserve to be stood up. I also believe that there was a reason for this, that God didn't want me to meet this man, and I fully and wholeheartedly trust in God's plan for my life.

But seriously.

Do I have to add to my online profile, "In order to qualify for a second date with me, you must actually show up for the first one"?! Because, clearly, that message isn't coming across very well.