The Blob Revisited

Almost exactly one year after writing about my Blob, a Blob member informed me last night that reading it had warped his mind. He refused to elaborate. This got me thinking about my dear ol' Blob and how it has evolved into more of a Holidays-and-Special Occasions-only Blob, hence yesterday's Memorial Day Cookout. The handy thing about holidays and special occasions is they are just that, occasional.

Let's face it: co-ed is complicated, especially when it's on an all-the-time basis. But I must admit, some things are more fun with men around. Cookouts, for example, and wallyball, and camping (who's going to scare the bears away?) and when doing hard things, like unbolting the satellite dish from your balcony in the dark.

I don't advocate segregation. Nope. I'm all for integration, just on the right terms. My Blob has done a great job of this (and is much of the reason we are no longer a blob). In the past year, many of them have started seriously dating or are married or engaged. The interesting part is that very few of them found someone inside the Blob. They looked outside and voila, there he was.

Our get-togethers now are full of fun and great conversations, and I can be at ease because I'm not hyperventilating over what I wonder might be happening behind the scenes. "He talked to me all night last weekend too...is he interested?!?" or "Why isn't he interested? Can't he tell I'm dropping hints, and can't he see that we get along famously?" See? Complicated. But from what I can tell, the occasional times we all come together are lower pressure and 100% enjoyable. And who knows -- maybe under those terms a little romance will actually have room to blossom and breathe.

I still can't support the Blob as I knew it before, but I can't deny how much joy a healthy, mixed group of friends can bring to life. I suppose Solomon was right when he suggested there is a time for everything.