One Saturday Night in the Year 2008...
A night like this brings back my memory. It was Saturday Night just like tonight, but that was 9 years ago. I still lived in California, was fresh out of my previous relationship and wasn't looking for a new one. I was very, very single and very, very far away from home.
Friday Nights and Saturday Nights, from where I lived, are known as "Date Nights" People would sacrifice anything in their lives just to make sure they wouldn't be alone in date nights. Restaurants and movie theaters would be packed with couples; love was still in question but expectation was flying high.
As for me, I befriended with loneliness. It was strange and painful at first, then we became close and I found myself getting more and more comfortable living with it. I always stayed in my apartment while the rest of the city was going out. I had no problem with couple everywhere but I had problem with too many people anywhere.
So that Saturday night started off just like any other weekend nights. My roommate went out for a date, just like my other friends. I was getting ready for my usual night-in. Then something kinda hit me and I decided that I wouldn't want to stay in anymore. I wouldn't want to get all dressed-up either. I just wanted to be invisible and got lost in the crowd. So I threw on my over-sized sweater and hid my undone hair under a cap and drove out to the craze of LA.
I actually drove about ten blocks to the mall on Santa Monica Blvd in Beverly Hills where it's packed with couples. I got myself one ticket for this movie, Life as a House. I also got myself one bucket of Popcorn, one big glass of Coke and one nasty look from the vendor behind the counter. Single people is not acceptable on date nights!! I tried not to cuss and quietly sneaked into the movie theater.
I saw couples in their twenties giggling, couples in their thirties holding hands and couples in theirr sixties still giggling and holding hands. I myself sat next to this couple in their late forties and still looking very much in love. We exchanged a quick friendly smile, then the light went off, the screen brightened...
The movie was all right, not great but not disappointing. At the end of the movie, I was still sitting in my chair while other moviegoers were moving out. I didn't know that the lady sitting next to me was neither moving. She leaned towards me and asked if I liked the movie. I heard myself saying a polite Yes. Then she said to me, "When I was your age, I always came to movies alone too. But don't worry, one day you'll find someone to enjoy every movie with you." Giving a light pat on the back of my hand, she got up and left with her husband, whose hand always held hers. I still sat there trying to digest the moment and her kind words.
Suddenly, everything felt ok and I was glad I broke my usual routine and came out that night...
I was alone but it was ok. It was ok to be lonely. It was ok to wait for the right person. The one person that would never let go of my hands. I made my decision right then and there that I would never settle for anything or anyone less than that...
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