Misery Loves Company

I was out to lunch with a friend recently and I made note of an older couple sitting in a booth directly in my line of sight. I'd peg them for roughly my parents age so somewhere from their late 60's to early 70's. What caught my attention about them was not that they were out to enjoy a nice BBQ meal, not their age, but how friggin miserable they seemed. They sat down, ordered their food then sat there waiting, on the edge of their seats, for their food to arrive not speaking a word to each other or even looking at each other. It was disconcerting to me as I was thinking why bother going out to dinner and be completely miserable when you can stay home and be miserable in privacy? The look on the man's face was like unto someone smelling unseen dog shit (kind of the look on Ray Allen's face...just as an aside). I had a relative of mine make that face at any event we went to when the end of the meal coffee was not in front of him the very second HE was done eating. It pissed me off when he made that face and it pissed me off when this guy made the face. The woman almost looked like she wanted to speak to him but knew it would be to no avail. I admit I became consumed with this miserable couple to the point of distraction. First I felt bad for them. Then, I felt pissed at them for not even trying. Then I felt bad for myself thinking; is this what I have to look forward to in 20 years? I left before they got their meal so maybe they were a barrel of laughs once I left.

The whole drive home it bothered me until I started thinking, wait a minute, they are my parents age but they are NOT my parents (literally or figuratively). My parents still enjoy each others company, still enjoy going out with both each other and other people. If they go out they not only talk to each other but chat up the server and anyone else they happen to encounter(maybe to a fault). They smile, they laugh, they have fun. Now I can't say what was going on in this other couple's life but I know what my parents have gone through and are still going through physically, emotionally, and psychologically and yet they still remain positive, happy, upbeat people (at least publicly haha). I hope I can emulate them and not end up miserable (ok, no snickering) like these people.

So, I say to this couple, bite me! Keep your sour-pussed, unsmiling, unhappy asses at home. Misery may enjoy company but we don't enjoy yours.