Knowing Who You Are

My husband and I were on a trip recently, and we found ourselves sitting in the hotel bar, the result of acquiring two free drinks from the concierge because of a mix-up with our reservation.  At the time, what we didn’t immediately realize was we were staying in a hotel with, shall we say, reasonably affluent guests.  Our eureka moment presented itself after we’d ordered and looked around. 

As with any such moment, you’re generally caught unaware, obliviously meandering through an assumed normal moment.  We sat down at the bar because the tables were full and waited patiently for the bartender to acknowledge our existence.  He was perfectly kind—don’t get me wrong—but there remained the slight hesitation, I’m sure, when he got a good look at us.  It still makes me laugh!  After we ordered our drinks, we started taking in the scenery.

To our left was a group of gentlemen in suits with an obvious leader seated among them who the bartender frequently ministered to, topping off drinks, filling snack bowls, etc…we wondered if he’d adopt us for the evening.  An assorted menagerie of patrons was on our right, thank God.  People were dressed well, but all-in-all, we felt a little better about the comparison, kind of.  Then, we became aware of how we fit in, or really didn’t fit in.

I wore what could be described as outdoor wear, something you’d find on the slopes, really…cold gear shirt, thermal pants, snow boots to my knees.  And, no, there was no snow.  My husband wore jeans and a golf shirt—mind you, the golf shirt had a logo, while a great company, made our “predicament” even more funny.  I won’t go into it!  Let’s just say, we realized, after laughing hysterically, we belonged more in an Irish pub—or any pub, for that matter, than in the type of establishment in which we found ourselves.

To say we were a bit uncomfortable would be an understatement.  I found it amusing that two people who normally feel pretty relaxed in who they are could suddenly get ruffled because of an outfit.  But, there you have it.  Awkward is awkward.

We could analyze the whole situation, breaking it down, piece by piece, to understand why we felt out of place, but really, it’s pretty simple. We’re pub people. We can dress up and fit in if we have to, but we’d rather put on a pair of jeans and hang out in the relaxed atmosphere of a pub. We knew that, but the experience still made for comic relief. By the way, our favorite so far? Cork’s Sine’—people show up to play music, and you get to drink a beer and listen. Doesn’t get any better.

Knowing what you like really makes life easier—and more enjoyable. In our case? Less expensive as well😊

Quote of the Day:

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” e.e.cummings