A Lesson from Pancake Boy

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ~Andre Gide

I'm just going to say it. It's hard to be a single girl. It seems like Mr. Right must be out there somewhere, but sometimes it seems like it might be easier to become a rocket scientist or brain surgeon than to find him.

And I'm not the only one who feels this way. ND Friend recently had a very telling (and hilarious) experience with a potential "The One" who turned out to be another wrong one.

She met the wrong one, who we'll call Pancake Boy (you'll understand in a minute), while at a bachlorette party in Texas. He was a nice, southern, ag boy from southeast Texas. They hit it off right away and started talking on the phone. Long story short, he decided to come and visit ND Friend in Chicago. It didn't take Pancake Boy long to strike out.

Because ND Friend is the sweetest person on earth, she was worried that this guy might not feel comfortable in the big city. So she went all out---she made him a cd of Texas Country songs so that if traffic or whatever got too overwhelming, they could play it in the car. She drew him a map of cool places within walking distance of her apartment that he could go see during the day while she was at work. She even bought him little gift cards to some of the places she suggested. He, however, never left her apartment while she was at work. For 3 days. Not once. Strike one.

And she tried to think of all of the great places to take him so that he could really experience Chicago. When she took him out to see Lake Michigan, his response was, "Well, it's okay, but Lake Jim Bob Whatever in southeast Texas is pretty darn neat too." (It wasn't really called Jim Bob Whatever, but it was a lake named after some random person.....compared to freaking Lake Michigan!) Um.....okay.....strike two.

And then, the defining moment came when she took him to Bongo Room (you read about this place last week). So off they go to what must be one of the best brunch places in the world. She suggested all sorts of fun entrees for him to try. His response? "Well golly, I just want regular eggs and bacon." (Okay, I don't know if he really said golly, but this is my blog and I can embelish a little when necessary.) ND Friend didnt' say anything when he ordered that and she ordered her amazing pretzel pancakes covered in white chocolate and carmel drizzle.

When their food arrived, ND Friend tried to get Pancake boy to taste her pancakes. He refused. She asked, "You won't even try them?" He said no. And that was when it was clear to her that he was the wrong one. She told me later, "You know, I didn't care at all about the stupid pancakes. But it was clear that this dude was just not fun!" Yea....he was out. WAY out.

So I think we all need to take a lesson from Pancake Boy. We have got to be willing to try new things and to have new experiences. You have to get out of the apartment, so to speak. And when you do, you have to appreciate the experience you are having. Even if you prefer lake Jim Bob Whatever to Lake Michigan, appreciate the beauty that is Lake Michigan.

You might not like the new thing you try or the new place you go or the new person you meet...but at least you tried it. Maybe Pancake Boy would have hated the pretzel pancakes (only if he had no taste buds). But you know what? He never had to eat them again and could have gone back to Texas with a great story to tell his buddies next summer on lake Jim Bob Whatever. Intead, he left with nothing.

And, like ND Friend explained, it's not about the pancakes, or him being a recluse, or Lake Jim Bob Whatever. It's about so much more. It's about being a person who is fun and adventurous and who loves life. It's about taking a chance and making a memory. It's about living life to the fullest. No one wants to be with someone who isn't going to do that.

So, to sum it up: Try new things. Especially if they are drenched in chocolate.

And Pancake Boy, just in case you are reading this.....your closed-minded un-fun-ness cost you an amazing girl. Big mistake. Big. Huge!