Carl and havdalah
So our shlixa, Lior, kept pushing for me to go to this "Young Adult Division" havdalah dinner on Saturday. "And bring Carl! I want to meet him!"
I admit, I was wary on multiple levels. For starters, when people are that insistent for me to go I can't help but question why. Is NO ONE attending and people are just needed?? Multiple (admittedly negative) scenarios pop into my head whenever I'm facing such insistence upon my presence (because, really, while I'm not saying that you guys don't want to see me, but I'm doubting anyone's THAT DESPERATE to see me!). Also, Carl + Jewish stuff tends to equal "no". Particularly in the Peoria Jewish scene he's never found a whole lot of comfort -- not being Jewish is just the tip of the iceberg there. There's a huge age gap (the more active Jews tend to be quite a bit older than either of us), and Carl's seemed to find the few events that he HAS attended stuffy or uncomfortable.
We had a good time last night, but it was more social than anything else. Yes, there was the part before dinner with Hebrew singing and extinguishing a candle in wine like other havdalahs, but after that it was just interaction. Carl got to talk shop with a woman who is about to start her doctor's residency, and we met some great people. One woman said, "I like you. You guys are interesting, and I love interesting people."
I never thought we were all THAT interesting but I'll take a compliment when I can get it. :: laugh ::
We just might have to do this again next month ...
I admit, I was wary on multiple levels. For starters, when people are that insistent for me to go I can't help but question why. Is NO ONE attending and people are just needed?? Multiple (admittedly negative) scenarios pop into my head whenever I'm facing such insistence upon my presence (because, really, while I'm not saying that you guys don't want to see me, but I'm doubting anyone's THAT DESPERATE to see me!). Also, Carl + Jewish stuff tends to equal "no". Particularly in the Peoria Jewish scene he's never found a whole lot of comfort -- not being Jewish is just the tip of the iceberg there. There's a huge age gap (the more active Jews tend to be quite a bit older than either of us), and Carl's seemed to find the few events that he HAS attended stuffy or uncomfortable.
We had a good time last night, but it was more social than anything else. Yes, there was the part before dinner with Hebrew singing and extinguishing a candle in wine like other havdalahs, but after that it was just interaction. Carl got to talk shop with a woman who is about to start her doctor's residency, and we met some great people. One woman said, "I like you. You guys are interesting, and I love interesting people."
I never thought we were all THAT interesting but I'll take a compliment when I can get it. :: laugh ::
We just might have to do this again next month ...