Brag: Random beautiful girl invites me to Opera.

[jackflashdrive]

I alluded to this event in a thread in EDGD and some wanted to know details so I am posting here.

The following happened more than a year ago but it brings me a lot of joy when I think about it, and sybolizes what is so great about the city of Seattle.

So I had just put in my hours of poker in an uptown Seattle coffeeshop when the girl of my dreams walks up to me and says "Hi, would you like to go to the Opera. I have tickets and it starts in 10 minutes" She's blonde, tall, very pretty, carries herself well." Of course I'm immediately thinking that she is selling something.

So I say "Uhh, sure, but why are you asking me if I'd like to go to the Opera." She explains that SHE was sitting in the coffeeshop when a random couple came up to her and gave her their tickets. She didn't want the second ticket to go to waste and thought I might like to go. So I take the ticket, pack my stuff, and start walking over to the Opera house.

As I'm walking I look down at the ticket. Front row, center. A $150 ticket. The name of the Opera was "The End of the Affair." I'd never heard of it.

As I get to the Opera house I realize that I am not exactly dressed for Opera, wearing jeans and a sweatshit. I give my ticket to the door person and proceed to wallk to my section. I pass a series of ushers on my way to the good seats and each one looks at me with more and more confusion (rather than contempt).

I get to the seat and the girl is not around, but there is a couple next to me. I immediately apologize for my appearance and explain the situation, that another couple had given the tickets to a girl who would be arriving any moment, and that she had offered a ticket to me. As I'm talking this couple gives no indication at all that they are involved with this somehow.

Then the girl shows up, whose name was Maria. She sees the couple and says "oh, thank you again for the tickets." I guess I had misunderstood the situation initially. The couple had not given Maria their tickets, but had rather given her the tickets of friends who were supposed to be joining them but canceled at the last minute. So this couple that I was just speaking to let me drone on and on for 10 minutes about the wonderful people who gave their tickets away to a stranger, when they in fact were the wonderful people. Created a weird dynamic.

Maria and I start talking and we seem to be getting along together wonderfully. She's a teacher and has been traveling the world during her summer vacations. I've done a bit of traveling as well so we have a lot to talk about. Then the Opera starts. I've never really liked Opera, but this one absolutely blew me away. The story (based on Graham Greene's novel) was amazing, and though I've read the book and seen the movie, I don't think either compares to this performance. I've never been really moved by a performance before -- generally I am a very stoic person. This Opera affected me at a deep level.

During intermission Maria and I have more great conversation and I decide that I'm going to get her number when the thing is over. As the Opera ends, though, and I'm thanking the couple again for sharing their extra tickets with me, Maria disappears and I never do get her number or make further contact. I think that's just as well. The memory of this experience is so wonderful and vivid just the way it is that I wouldn't want any further complications to undermine it. I love Seattle. I love the people of Seattle.