Nice save

I nearly died of embarrassment tonight. As I was walking into church, I saw a guy who I thought was my neighbor. He glanced my way and I waved and said, "Hi, Craig." He said, "Chris," and the guy he was talking to laughed. I said, "Oh. Chris. Sorry." I walked in, found a seat, and wished I could crawl in a hole. I text messaged V to tell her about it. (Yes, in church. That's how bad I felt.) I wanted to leave.

I was sitting there thinking just how much I wanted to leave when a good-looking guy interrupted my reverie of chagrin asking, "Do you mind if I sit next to you?" I said, "No, not at all." He said, "Thanks." I said, "Certainly." I was thinking that when he finished praying, if he turned my way, I'd introduce myself. He beat me to it. He asked my name and said it was nice to meet me. I asked his name. He asked which mass I attend and I told him I'm an usher at the 7:30 pm. He goes to the 11 am.

He was very polite and gentlemanly. When I reached for a missalette, he handed me his and took another one for himself. Each time we had to kneel he pulled out the kneeler. I moved to pull it out once and he said, "I've got it." For the offering hymn, he opened a hymnal and moved it over so we could share it. I had been getting money out of my purse when they started singing, so he pointed out the part in the song where we were. I scanned through the song looking for high notes. There was a high D which is about my limit. I was thinking, "Please let me make the high note, please let me make the high note, whew, I made the high note." At the end of the song, he turned to me and smiled and said, "Nice voice." Wheee! I said, "You, too." He really did have a nice voice.

After the service, we walked out and I waited for him to catch up in the vestibule. I said, "It was nice meeting you." He said, "You, too, 'Samsara.' Maybe I'll try the 7:30." I said, "Yeah, that'd be good." He said something about how the 11 will be really busy on Sunday. I agreed and said, "See you later," as our paths diverged.

I'm glad I didn't find that hole.