Safaris and Perfume

I read some of your comments from my previous post and I was relieved to see positive thoughts.  Somehow I imagined that there would be that analytical one in the bunch that cuts me down to size via the comments section.  I wont speak to soon since she could still be out there.

There were also many comments about the ostrich fear.  Okay, this one started way back in my childhood.  When I was about 7 or 8-years-old my family made the decision to go on a trip to Safari Land, an amusement park in the Chicago suburbs.  It was my Mom and Dad, my older brother Ricky, and my younger sister Chrissy.  We packed the car and drove out to Villa Park for a day with the animals.  It was a smaller place with the usual rides and amusements, but what I had experienced that day was sheer horror.

In the back of the park was a drive-thru safari of sorts where you actually drive your own vehicle through the wildlife area.  Animals just roamed around freely; giraffes would come up to the car and monkeys would dance on the windshield of our 1982 Plymouth Caravelle.  Then things went terribly wrong.  We were told not to feed the animals because its a) probably not good for their diet and b) makes them crazy.  Ricky thought it would be a fantastic idea to unwrap crackers and stick his starch-laden hand out the window.

Within seconds a group of ostriches noticed this and darted toward the car.  Ricky shoved his hand back inside but it was too late. They already knew.  Coming from all sides, the Ostriches repeatedly thrust their big heads through the open windows and snapped at us.  Ricky and I were screaming on both sides while Chrissy was crying in the middle. Though this sight was terrifying, nothing can erase the sounds they were making.  It was just horrendous.  Dad thought it was funny for a while until one started to eat the interior of the car, which is when he hit the gas and they practically followed us to the exit gates.

Those ostriches took a piece of me that I will never get back, but I'm glad to have shared it.

Aaand back to my dating life.  It interesting how the idea of writing a blog has made me sharper and more perceptive in my relationships.  I have always been a detail oriented person, but having this blog has wired me to think with a fine-tuned mindset.  For example, some women at work prefer to look nicer than others.  They work hard on their bodies, dress nicer, wear makeup, etc.  Lately I have been thinking about what causes this split.  Do the other women not find the need to impress at the workplace because they are already taken? Or do they have the confidence to know they don't need to wear makeup? Or do they simply not care how they look?  I am sure there are a lot of variables, but this thought has been plaguing my mind.

At work this week I was standing behind a female coworker waiting to send a fax.  When she was preparing her documents I had picked up the scent of her perfume.  It made me imagine what factors had come into play when she decided to use it. I imagined a woman in her early thirties getting ready in the morning, and after carefully choosing her outfit, she sprays a bit of Christian Dior or Burberry on her blouse.  Was it a routine? Was it because she was trying to have a small impact on her coworkers at the office?  Or was it because it made her feel good?

I seem to be attracted to those types of women.  It doesn't have anything to do with "making yourself prettier." Whether its a nice smell, or a new haircut, or a clean look- its that subtle note that they take pride in themselves.  Whether intentional or not, they did something extra to make me notice in a very delicate way.