Are you the type to see life in terms of black and white or do you see things in shades of grey? I'm prone to shades, but not all grey. Let's just say my belief system or philosophy on life is much more colorful. Around here, it's not unusual to bump up against life's colors in a spectrum that includes black, white, grey, Harley Orange, Blue Blood and Bottle Blonde all in one day. Like the last 24 hours.
Last night Beloved and I decided to eat out and take a ride on the motorcycle. Our favorite Mexican food restaurant has a mid-week "free beer" promotion, so one guess where we ended up.
The place was packed. We shared a table with two twenty-something guys who "were just keeping it real with the free brew" (their words not mine). Friendly enough. While waiting for our tacos, Beloved and I talked politics and sipped free draft PBRs (which I learned last night is not the name of an import, but Pabst Blue Ribbon which seems to be making a comeback around here. Who'd have thunk?). This was the black and white part of the evening.
In addition to having a blended family, I also have a mixed marriage. I'm democrat. He's republican. Lately we've been seeing more eye to eye. But politics is boring so I'll skip the conversation details.
Next stop a place called "The Garage" due to the fact that it once was a garage. Now its a favorite mid-week biker hangout with dollar beers and a band.
Quite the rainbow at the garage. Lifestyles in many colors. Here you'll find guys (and some gals) who work the labor pool and live day to day. Their color is Vintage Harley Orange. They're on the makeshift dance floor next to a guy who pulled up earlier on a brand spankin' new Harley, his trophy wife on back with her brand spankin' new boobs. Their color is Money Can Buy Me Youth Green.
You've got a group of retirees standing off to the side, one of whom brings his biker dog with him everywhere (swear to god, the dog rides standing on the tank which his owner has covered in a slip resistant fabric. Can you say Biker Bitch?!). Their color is Grateful Grey.
The early crew is now getting a little loud. They're the group who shows up at 5 for the free pizza to go with their dollar beers. They usually walk home, or in the ladies case, back to work on the corner. Their color is Hard Party Purple.
Scattered hither and yon are the small groups of guys in their 40s and 50s who just like to ride and use the mid-week break as an opportunity to hang with the guys and get out of the house. Their color is Lawnmower Man Maroon. They usually hang on the fringes near the couples who go in together on a babysitter and stop by on date night once a month (that's our spot). This group's color is Baby Blue.
Jump to this morning when I got a call at 7:30 a.m. from the chair of the committee I serve on for a local non-profit. He's a bank President. He wants me to lead discussion on an agenda item when we meet at 8 a.m. The committee members include CEOs of publicly traded companies, financial advisers, CPAs, lawyers and developers. Their color is Blue Blood. (good thing my baby blue helps me blend).
And here I am this afternoon in my Bottle Blonde life, blogging in between answering e-mails for work, organizing the syllabus for the next semester of the college course I teach and scheduling grooming appointments for one of my dogs, which is sleeping under my desk. Oh, and there's back to school items that still need to be taken care of and a chicken marinating in the fridge for dinner tonight.
I think, like the chameleon, it helps to be able live life in a variety of colors.
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