After much procrastination [because I like to make things difficult for myself] I declined an invitation to join friends at a restaurant last night. There was to be dancing after the meal, from about midnight till 4 am and I felt that it would have been unfair to leave Simi that long, especially on a night of many loud fireworks [ for no nation does joyful noise quite like the Italians]. I wouldn't have enjoyed myself as I'd have been worried about her all night long.
The other reason for declining was the fact that the company would have been composed mainly of couples. Now, I don't mind my single status but sitting like a Victorian matron watching couples dancing on a night when people are apt to get emotional would have been too much even for me. [In Britain, a man will dance once or twice, on such an occasion, with a woman who is not his partner but that doesn't seem to be the case here; and even if it were, it could make you feel worse!] The art of being single, in any country, lies in staying away, as far as is possible, from situations which are likely to throw you off balance and this could have been one of them. I suppose that the kind friends who invited me didn't think about this aspect of the matter as it's a long time since they've been single.
Then there was the potential expense. James has been blogging about seasonal overspending today: well, the meal alone would have cost 55 euros, then there'd have been the hairdo plus manicure and I'd have had to have a facial! [OK, I'd have had the hairdo anyway.] And a place as elegant as that calls for a new dress; a new dress calls for shoes to go with it, then there's the evening bag and the lippy that's exactly right for the dress... so we're talking about expenditure of at least £150 when you tot it up and all for something that was probably going to make me miserable!
Am I a grump or what? What do you think? Would you have gone under those circumstances?
Anyway, I was quite happy with the idea of spending a quiet New Year's Eve here with Simi; she's wonderful company at any time and I really did want to be with her when those fireworks went off. Then Linda phoned and invited me to join her family for a cosy, early [by Italian standards] supper, so I did. I was home by 11.30 and drank the New Year in [twice - once at midnight Italian time and then again at 1 am which is midnight in the UK] with the person [for she is a person!] who means the most in the world to me. Simi is wagging her tail in agreement.
I'm having to put the photos on the next post again as I am having trouble uploading them here.
Midnight in Sicily, by the way, is the title of an excellent book on Italian politics and the Mafia by Peter Robb.
4 comments:
Amazing ... you are a true gift I only wish i read this yesterday and not today. Yesterday where I was really suffering from the poor me's could have learned a lesson in putting my best foot forward! All the best for you and for Simi! With much love and affection for a new friend ... Happy New Year!!!! ~M
No you ain't a grump at all. I often find because you are expected to have a good time on New years you don't neccessarily have one. Its one of those weird situations- I have never met anyone who really enjoys New Year's Eve.
That sounds a wonderful way to see in 2007.
Happy New Year to you both from me and Harvs.
Dear WL: I think I understand even though I've not been single for many years.
But my sister was single until recently, and she got to the point that she was never very comfortable at parties becaused she either felt they were all couples and she was single, or because they couldn't accept her as a single because they always brought in a single man to balance her off!
One thing she and I used to do, though, when she, Hubby and I would go to parties together was to just jump up and dance as a threesome. Sometimes just the two of us sisters would dance together.
This isn't an odd solution, either, because I see women do it all the time. Even at my husband's company's Christmas party there were many ladies whose husbands did not enjoy dancing, so the women got up and danced with their female friends.
Sometimes a whole group of women will jump up and dance together. If you were in my crowd I'd grab you so you could join the fun as well!
I feel we ladies are luckier than men in this respect, because no one seems to look askance at women who do this, but if two men were to get up and dance together the crowd would assume they were joking, or gay.
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