About a year ago, for about ten minutes, I agreed to meet a reader from the blog at Starbucks. I rarely do this anymore because Chris would yell at me. In this case though, it was fine. The way I saw it, it was similar to meeting an online date for afternoon coffee, in a crowded place, daylight. You know the deal. Yes, when it comes to the blog, though, a reader can believe they know me based off everything they’ve read. So the “relationship” begins off balance. One could throw out “obsessed” without worrying they might be wrong. In some cases, that’s true. This was not one of those situations.
He was wearing a J. Crew rollneck sweater that looked itchy. I agreed to meet him because he worked only a few blocks from where I work. It was a friendly meeting where we discussed real estate and writing. We parted after ten minutes, as I had work to do. We still IM, a year later. Last night, during a thunderstorm, this is how it went:
RealEstateMan: In your glory?
RedDiva2ooo: Yip. I just wish I had someone to share it with right now.
RealEstateMan: Awwww.
RedDiva2ooo: Like, I wish I could just be beside someone, sitting here writing while they do their thing, and hopefully don’t mind the Mario spots all over my face, then we’d eat too many grilled cheese sandwiches. That would be good.
RealEstateMan: I would share it with you in a friend sort of way… I make an awesome grilled cheese.
RedDiva2ooo: I’m too gross to be around people right now.
RealEstateMan: Well, if you ever want a grilled cheese or anything like that, let me know.
So I awake this morning to the usual string of emails. Love mail. Hate mail. Sale mail. Party mail. Friend mail. And back to love mail from Bowling For Soup. In my previous email to him, I mentioned the rain here in New York and apologized for not visiting him abroad. I received the following, single line, as a response:
I will always “grilled cheese” you.
He and I never had grilled cheese together. He just knew. I love that.
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there is nothing better when someone just "knows". i don't know if it is a girl thing or inherently universal, but when that happens, there is nothing better.
oh, and two points for the badescu shout-out.
there is nothing better when someone just "knows". i don't know if it is a girl thing or inherently universal, but when that happens, there is nothing better.
oh, and two points for the badescu shout-out.
That is really just plain bizarre that he would just know your love for grilled cheese. Unless, of course, you had mentioned it before, or he has read your blog.
It was more the fact that I'd just complained the night before to a friend… and then when I awoke, it was to "I grilled cheese you." What are the chances?
That is nice when that happens. I did that recently to a girl I've been talking to (different words, same concept). I remember she was really quite happy with me for it.
I wonder if we like it because it feels like the movies or because we feel like someone gets us, even if only briefly or just a piece of us.
I'm happy you had a good morning. :-)
The grilled cheese line is remarkably similar to a line from the little-known and underrated chick flick Love & Sex (seriously. highly recommend it).
The line in the movie is: "I cheese sandwich you"
Grill cheese on whole grain bread with real smelly cheese and dijon.mmmmmmm and spicy fries
Grill cheese on whole grain bread with real smelly cheese and dijon.mmmmmmm and spicy fries
You had me at "grilled cheese".
I think it's cool how people think they know you because of your blog. Maybe it's not, you YOU, but it's that it seems like the funniest, smartest, coolest part of you. And that makes them feel secretly cool just for knowing about your blog. Of course we'd all love to be friends with Stephanie. But we just can't… so we pretend we know her and that the "her" we know is the real one. So sue us. :)
p.s. I love it when people "snack" me. Everybody knows what a little squirrel I am about food. I store it away in the cubbie in my office… not sure what i'm saving it for…winter maybe… But i'll email my friends at work if i see 'em walk in with something good and just say, "snack me". It seems to work pretty good… :P
I was also reminded of Love & Sex because of that line… it was one of my favorite things from the movie.
And it's always so nice when people can read your mind. I love being so close to people that they know what I am thinking before I'm thinking it… And can make me happy without even trying.
I want to talk to my best friend now…
mmmmm cheese…