My new dancing parter...Mr. Hugh Hefner

There are some creepy people in this world. Correction: there are some extremely creepy people in this world.

We sometimes have the unfortunate experience of having to come into contact with some of these disturbing and stalkerish characters, but boy, they sure do make one hell of a story; sometimes, they're the best stories life can throw your way.

This is the story about my encounter with Hugh Hefner's twin. This is the disturbing 80 year-old man who asked me to dance.

Now, I guess I must take some responsibility for putting myself in such a weird environment to begin with, one where I was bound to meet someone as creepy as him. I mean, no one goes to a cowboy karaoke bar expecting to meet a debonair prince charming, and there's definitely no Clint Eastwood's lurking around there. But, I didn't expect to meet Hugh Hefner either.

Now, I must inform you that I did not meet Hugh Hefner himself (although I may have accepted his invite to dance, solely for bragging rights and nothing more), nor did I meet his blood-related brother. BUT, I did meet his creepy identical no-named twin who did ask a 21 year-old to dance in a bar, with Viagra on his mind and his hips ready to swing.

Creepy? Check. Awkward? Check. Disturbing? Check. Disgusting? Check.

Let's just say this: there are some people, in certain situations and in certain environments, that I would rather say I never met.

By the way, for all you Hugh Hefners out there--please, PLEASE don't assume a bunch of young girls are willing to dance with you because you grab their waist and they are much too creeped out to push you off. I mean, if they push a little too hard they might break your hip. Save your perverted mind for someone your own age.

Oh the joys of meeting an interesting stranger.

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The Stranger you thought you knew

Throughout your life, you undoubtedly become closer to people. You get to know a person; you discover their mannerisms, you accept their flaws, you see their heart and you see their soul...

But sometimes, you can never really know a person. You see, even a close friend can be a perfect stranger.

This is the story about the person I thought I knew. Well, I guess this isn't really a story, but rather the breathings of a broken heart.

You see, it's always a sad day when you realize you've lost a friend. It's always a sad day when you realize that the person you thought you knew is actually someone completely different.

You see their heart--but you realize it's only a mask. You see their soul--but you realize it's a facade. You see their flaws--but you underestimate their power. You see a person--but you realize they're not really the person you saw all this time.

And that my friends, is how a stranger can break your very heart.

Alas, the heartbreak of meeting a perfect stranger.

The Facebook Girl

Facebook creeping. We've all done it, and we'll continue to do it as long as Facebook maintains its reign as the social network king.

Mark Zuckerberg is a pretty smart guy, you know, dropping out of an ivy league college and all. He knows that when he adds profiles of people you might now in your News Feed, there's a likely chance you'll click on their profile and add them too. Each new friend you add allows the social network to grow and eventually puts money back in the bank for Zucker-buck.

But when Facebook grants power to us normal folk, we can't help but use this power to our full creepy potential. That's why we end up scrolling through pictures of these alleged mutual friends that are actually a complete strangers. Hence, the name Facebook creeper we give to ourselves.

Now, if you're silently muttering to yourself that you've never done this--you're in denial. If you don't have a Facebook, well, you're just living under a rock. And if you're thinking "wow, I do that WAY too much," then you frighten me. Facebook creeping is okay, it's a natural part of being a social networker. But being a perverted creeper on Facebook that stalks anyone and everyone because you have no real friends is taking it way too far.

Anyways, this is the story of that one Facebook girl I finally met.

But the funniest part of this story is my ignorant assurance that I would never actually meet this girl, even though she consistently pops into my Facebook News Feed because we have "mutual friends." Silly me.

Where did I meet her you ask? Oh, you know...at church. Yes, I met the girl with the summer bikini profile picture she keeps up until January right after mass. Very appropriate.

So, where's the lesson in all of this? Be careful who you Facebook creep. You might actually end up meeting them one day, and if you're like me...the only thing you'll be able to think about upon meeting them is their awkward statuses and their self-obsessed profile picture you creeped on one day.

Alas, the joys of meeting a perfect stranger.

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To the year I found my pen...goodbye to 2010

This post isn't so much about an interesting stranger I've never met, but rather a reflection on the "strangers" I've faced throughout the year. Sometimes you can't really form a new relationship with someone until you examine your own life, even if that relationship is only with a perfect stranger.

And when you start examining, you begin to find deeper meanings between the random encounters you hold with people. When you start to understand your life, you begin to understand the lives of others.

So, this is my reflection of 2010.

I can't help but smirk when I think about how far I've come, who I've become, and what I've learned in the past 12 months. So much has happened, so much has changed...but more importantly, I've changed. Navigating through troubled waters, I reached the calming sea's peaceful rainbow, and for that alone, I will forever be thankful for the year 2010.

I can honestly say that I've grown tremendously in the last year alone, becoming a stronger, wiser, more responsible adult finding her way in this crazy thing we call life. My year, unlike any other, can be traced and understood through my writing. For it shows the ups and downs of my life, discovering moments of both discouragement and inspiration, glorifying the Lord while cursing my gift, and learning who am I and who I'm becoming each and everyday.

And as I reflect on the past year, I become more and more thankful for the heavenly-sent angels that guided me through it all. For if it wasn't for the father's light shining brightly within some of his most precious children, I would have never been able to find my way through the dark.

Strangers became friends, friends became enemies, and enemies became strangers. Sometimes you've just got to let go, let God, move on with life and move on to find the people that will really matter to you. Because every once in a while, a perfect stranger becomes a best friend.

To the year I found my pen...goodbye to 2010.

Here's to 2011...to all the strangers we'll meet and to all the friends we'll gain.

Here's to the joy of meeting a perfect stranger.

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My "Older Twin"

Sometimes we intentionally put ourselves into situations with the sole purpose of meeting new people. I mean, that's the entire point of social networks, isn't it? We sign up for these sites to meet people, to "network," to find others with common interests--all for the sake of getting to know another person you may have never had the opportunity of meeting.

Whenever we attend a social gathering, a convention, a seminar, or even a sporting event...we're putting ourselves in an environment with the opportunity of meeting new people. And when you thrust yourself into this type of environment, you're bound to find others with vast similarities between yourself.

In my case, it was a retreat.

This is the story of the girl I could see a part of myself in; this is the girl I could see as my "older twin."

You see, this girl and I ran in the same circles, had common acquaintances, common friends, but never really talked...never really met. And when we both found ourselves on the same spiritual retreat, it was really like meeting a perfect stranger. We talked about life, God, friends, family, relationships--and in the end, I felt as if I was looking into the mirror and discovering myself four years down the line.

But it wasn't exactly our experiences that were necessarily the same, but our outlook on life and our view of the world. This was the head-turner that made us both realize that our minds turn in the same direction and our hearts beat at the same rhythm. Discovering how much we truly had in common made me feel like our souls were linked from the very start.

But you see...this isn't really story, now is it? I guess not every encounter you have with someone has to have a story. Sometimes, the story comes after the spark that starts a new friendship. Maybe the best story I'll have with this girl, who was once a perfect stranger, will be somewhere down the line...but she just won't be a stranger anymore.

Alas, the joys of meeting a perfect stranger.

<3

"The Change" Woman

Meeting a perfect stranger can be both a memorable and enjoyable experience. But sometimes, it can be quite uncomfortable and completely awkward, especially when they share too much about their...interesting lives. Some people are a just a little too open and are more than willing to share with every gruesome detail.

This is a story about that awkward woman who gave me a little too much information.

This particular woman was coming into my office as a volunteer for a day, something my company offers quite frequently to help give the team a little peace of mind in times of chaos. They usually help pick up the odds and ends of the marketing department during busy campaigns, and really help us sail through troubled waters.

Needless to say, she was a little more than enthusiastic to be volunteering her time.

You see, her 8 year-old son was currently away with his "baby daddy" for the week, giving her a "much needed break" from the role of motherhood. Additionally, her boyfriend was going out of town, and she was fortunate enough to inherit the keys to his ocean view manor to "house-sit" while he was gone. When the son and the boyfriend are away, the woman shall play!

And this alone time was definitely needed, in fact it was a necessity. This 43-year old Italian woman was, or "is" I should say, going through "the change." And this time away from her boyfriend as well as her son was exactly what she needed to regain her strength.

Oh yes, my friends you are correct. This woman really did explain to me, in depth, all about her menopausal changes...in an office...upon meeting me for the very first time. And if that wasn't enough, she also felt the need to describe her upcoming rendezvous with her conveniently wealthy boyfriend, and her need to return home to pick up a "special" gift for him before he left for the week.

Now, I can be a very open-minded person. It really doesn't make me uncomfortable when people share their many bodily functions and desires; however, there is a little thing called too much information. Or at least upon initially meeting someone.

Keep in mind there is also something called decorum and proper work etiquette. Although she was quite a character and made my work day much more amusing, it wasn't exactly the most appropriate time or place to be having a conversation about her hot flashes and her "steamy" romance nights.

Needless to say, I hope she enjoyed playing house all to herself while her boyfriend and son were away!

Oh, the joy of meeting a perfect stranger.

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Cookie Wo-man.

One of the best parts of meeting a perfect stranger is having them remind you of the things you've forgotten, and in the process, creating phrases to help you remember.

This is the story of the woman that silently fought for feminism.

CVS is not really the ideal place to meet people. In fact, it's a really odd place. Correction: an awkward place. The majority of people brave enough to enter the "drug store" are usually on the hunt for secret items they would rather not have people find them buying. The rest are running in to pick up a small necessity, finding the nearest drug store more convenient than the large and daunting supermarket. Add this combination, and you have a recipe for an undesirable pit stop with some very interesting and undesirable characters.

What was I in there for, may you ask? Post-its.

As I silently stood in line, minding my own business, an elderly woman approached the line and waited right behind me. She seemed to be having trouble reaching into her purse for her reading glasses or her wallet, or whatever else she might be digging for. After I unintentionally turned around to awkwardly watch her in a very un-stalkerish way (I promise), she asked if I could help her out with something.

What could she ever want to ask me, you wonder? What could this woman want from me in the middle of CVS? Oh you know...to help her zip up her purse because she didn't have a free hand to do so.

Now, I guess I shouldn't be hating on an elderly woman having trouble zipping up her purse. However, I must admit that when she asked me, I was a little caught of guard. But, how could I resist such an odd request, and from such a sweet woman? You really, really can't...and I really, really wouldn't want to.

It's what she said to me, however, that to this day is still glued to my mind. In her very sweet and innocent voice, she turned to thank me and said, "Us girls have to stick together."

Girls have to stick together...I haven't thought about that concept since the 2nd grade. Even then, I wasn't a big "boys have coodies" type of girl to tap into my inner feminism and chant "girls rule, boys drool!" I've never really been a strong, out-spoken, college feminist, but this woman did have a point. Sometimes, girls do have to stick together--and not just in groups of 5 when they decide they need to use the restroom. But, in all honesty, girlfriends help get you through the rough times in life, perhaps more so than guys could ever understand. I guess it's just that telepathic emotional connection that two ladies have with one other, despite their past experiences and personal ideas.

So, thank you to the woman in CVS who reminded me that sometimes, girls do need to stick together. Thank you elderly woman for reminding me to appreciate my closest girlfriends.

Alas, the joys of meeting a perfect stranger.

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