The Bill W. Dinner Dance is a huge, black-tie-optional affair at the New York Hilton, and it's the only major fundraising activity of the New York Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous. It's hilarious because thousands and thousands of the most hardcore drinkers and drug users on the planet are dressed to the nines (in whatever that means for them: tux, kilt, cross-dressing, elegant-punk, nearly nothing, etc), and...
and...
NOBODY GETS SHITFACED.
That alone is worth the price of admission. To stand up, look across this HUGE room, and see thousands of sober people having an absolute blast just kicks ass.
Maggie and I went for the second year in a row. The highight of the dinner certainly isn't the food, which defines "acceptable," but rather the speakers. There are three, and they've all been chosen from folks who were nominated.
This year's speakers weren't all that great. Nice people, but not nearly as engaging as the folks last year.
But that's not why we left early.
After 11 years of marriage, I found out last night that Maggie gets exceptionally uncomfortable in social circumstances. I don't get this, because Maggie is one of the most capable people I know. I also don't get this because I didn't KNOW this. And WHY I didn't know this is puzzling me at this very moment.
I was watching Maggie a bit during the speakers, and she looked a little pained. I asked "do you want to go?" She did. So inbetween speakers, we left.
It bugs me that I didn't know this about Maggie. How could I not?
Anyway: I'm going to lift weights and run now. A friend of mine made me a CD, so I'm going to listen through it again for deep, encoded meaning (it's like a leftover high-school instinct to do that), and to see if I've gotten so old that I can't recognize a single band on a CD compiled by someone born in the 80's.
Love to all. Even you, the dude who I truly hope to see at the Bill W. Dinner a few years from now.
11 comments:
This sounds like a really fun night.
I also am very uncomfortable at large social functions. I feel this way even if I know lots and lots of people there. This is generally suprising to people because I often present myself to the world as an extroverted person when I am not.
Well, at least you have worked it out. She must do a great job of hiding that discomfort.
Heh. I "worked it out" because she told me. :-)
I have come to realize that many people who are socilly uncomfortable have learned to hide it well. But there are some times when you just get overwhelmed and need to get out of it. I think there are more of us than you know.
"...so I'm going to listen through it again for deep, encoded meaning (it's like a leftover high-school instinct to do that..." I thought I was the only one in the world that ever did that in high school. I would still do it if anyone ever made me a CD, but sadly nobody has made me a CD in years **see a single tear fall** , LOL
Love your blog, very cool!!
I am really jealous. We don't have anything that classy here !! hrmph...
Maybe next year the husband and I can come down and join you! That will be tickets for out of town drunks please!
Jeremy
I guess we never know people as well as we think we do!
-Anonymous-
Jeremy: you let me know, dude. Seriously.
Ok seriously Rich - how in the heck do you NOT know that? Especially if you went together last year?
are you sure this is a set in stone personality trait - or a temporary mood thing?
like miss britt said: how the heck don't you know that in 11 years?! How has she been able to hide it for so long?
Actually, thirteen years.
I don't really know. Could be because she quit drinking a year ago and alcohol helped her in social circumstances?
Ugh.
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