12/18/2011

Everything Wasn't Beautiful at the Ballet

Story Sent in by Abe:

Susan was a ballet dancer and part-time instructor. Over one of our online exchanges, I told her that I'd love to see her dance. She invited me to her studio after a class one weekday evening, and I also offered to take her out to dinner afterward.

I arrived just as her class was leaving. She set up some music on a little boom box and performed a short, private performance for me. I was very impressed, and flattered that she'd do this for me on our first meeting. It wasn't expected, but her talent was admirable, and it was enjoyable to watch her perform. She had clearly been at it for a while.

Then, after a particular twirl (the name of which I don't know), she lost her balance and stumbled awkwardly, almost hitting the ground. She didn't, but took another step, then seemed to think better of it. She glanced at me, saw the cringe on my face (it was automatic – I was just concerned that she'd hurt herself) and then she picked up the boom box/CD player and threw it against the wall, where it broke into pieces.

She turned to me, as if for approval. I had jumped back, and almost considered making for the door outright. As if she read my mind, she said, "Maybe we should postpone this. Now I'm in a crappy mood because my boom box is broken and I have to go out and buy another one before the stores close: I have another class to teach here early tomorrow."

"Okay, then," I agreed.

I left. Shortest date I'd ever been on, and the only one that included physical violence. I didn't feel much like contacting her again, and she sure as anything didn't contact me after that.

6 comments:

  1. Actually, I was thinking "at least she asked to postpone the date."
    She's just taught a class, she could already be in a really bad mood (who knows what happened in the class?). Would Abe, the OP, have enjoyed the date more if she was the sort of person who insisted on going out despite her "crappy mood"? As they say, misery loves company. At least she's courteous and considerate enough to not follow that and enforcing her own foul mood and misery upon him. What a pessimist Abe is.

    Team Susan.

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  2. ^ you are on the team of someone who overreacts and is physically violent? I mean yes it is a good job she wanted to postpone the date but if she hadn't of I don't think the OP would have agreed anyway.

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  3. The OP did dodge an extremely immature, property-destroying bullet.

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  4. @Ashley: Could you imagine her still being a teacher if she reacted like that every single time to something so minor? No, she'd either be fired or all her students would have left her. So the fact that she still has a job (or, if self-employed, she still has students) means that her reaction was certainly something out of the ordinary.

    On that basis, I'm going assume that she already has a lot of stress and frustration all pent up and Abe was simply unfortunate enough of being present during the tipping point. Sure, the timing could have been better, but I'm sure everyone can think of a time when they've done something really stupid because of emotions.

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