Wednesday, August 14, 2002
I can't believe I forgot to blog about this earlier.
One or two of you may remember some months ago that I complained of my mother randomly giving people my cell phone number in a desperate attempt to set me up with someone. I did not appreciate it, for obvious reasons.
And, whilst I was on vacation, I received a very, shall we say, interesting phone call.
Background info: My mother has been trying to get me to date someone, anyone, for a number of years. I've always said that she wants to live vicariously through me -- and she's admitted that, OK, yeah, it's kind of true. All through high school, and even since, she nudged me in certain guys' directions, in hopes that maybe I'd at least be kind of interested in one of them -- or with the presumption that YES, despite all protests, I really did have a crush on them. Har. It's almost like she refused to believe that it is possible for me to live a normal, healthy life without having a romantic interest in somebody.
Now, my mother and I have actually discussed this issue, rather recently, and I've explained my personal views on Why I Don't Need To Validate Myself Through Men's Attentions, and I've promised her that if I meet someone I really, truly like, and who likes me too, then sure, I'd date him. I thought this was a settled thing. Then I got the phone call.
The giving of my cell phone number occurred before the aforementioned clarifying conversation; my mother's stepmother's sister's grandson (I think that's right... yeah, it's weird, I know) goes to St. Edward's University in Austin, and my mother saw fit to pass along my number, without my consent, to his grandmother, who would be my mother's step-aunt, if there is such a title. (I try not to delve much into the family tree on my mother's side -- too many step-this and step-that, it gets confusing.) I was angry at first, but my mother assured me it was NOT a set-up, that she thought he would be a good person for me to know around Austin, so hey, why not? And when no weird people called me, I thought nothing of it. Until last Thursday, when I answered my phone, and a very unfamiliar number was flashing on the screen.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Teri? This is Susan [as we will call her]. You remember, I was at your graduation?"
The realization sank in. "Oh, uh, right. Hi, how are you?"
"Oh, I'm fine. When do you go back to school?"
"Uh, I'll be back in Austin this weekend."
"Really! That's wonderful. You remember I told you about my grandson Carl [as he will be known here]?"
"Yeah... I remember."
"Well, you aren't dating anyone, are you?"
I frowned. My mother looked inquisitively over at me. "Uh, no, I'm not."
"Oh, great! Well, I've been meaning to introduce you two, but I waited so long, that I thought for sure a nice girl like you would have a boyfriend."
"Uh, actually, no, I don't date much," I said with a weak laugh. Across the room, my now very curious mother mouthed, who is it? I narrowed my eyes and mouthed back, I hate you.
"Well, when you get back in Austin, I want to take the two of you out to dinner. It won't be a date, per se, but I'll leave you alone at some point, to force you to talk to each other." Susan giggled. "You know, I think you'd be such a good match."
I suppressed a groan. My mother, unable to stand being in the dark for five minutes, looked about ready to wrench the phone from me and talk to this person herself.
"Is that all right?"
"Sure, uh, that's fine," I said, not wanting to be rude.
"Great. Do you have a phone number up there yet?"
"Yeah, I do, though I can't recall it just now," I answered, with perfect honesty. My mother scowled.
Instead, I gave Susan my e-mail address, and she said Carl would e-mail me soon, and I could talk a bit and give him my new home phone number then. She acted as though this was all perfectly fine and not at all intrusive, and said goodbye a few moments later.
"What was that all about?" my mother asked, by this time very perplexed.
"Mother, I hate you with the passion of a thousand fiery suns," I answered in mock-seriousness. "That was Susan, arranging me a date with Carl -- and YOU gave them my number! You set me up!"
My mother protested, but I saw that familiar gleam in her eyes, now with an added spark -- triumph. "Hey, I'm not the one trying to set you up here -- it's all her! I just wanted you to have another friend in Austin, someone else you can call or go out with as FRIENDS. Is that really so bad? Am I really asking too much if I want you just to know him? And he might not even LIKE you!"
"Yeah, sure," I muttered under my breath. She still protests vehemently that she had anything to do with the set-up, but I have my doubts.
As of yet, I have not received any email from weird people in my inbox -- aside from the usual weird people -- but I never know when it might show up. Or if it will actually show up. All I know is, if it turns out I do have to go through this, they'd better be taking me someplace nice.
| 11:16 PM |
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