I think – based on my count – my column is near 14 readers. I met three more folks who’ve perused my weekly output Thursday night at one of the area’s newest gathering places, the Falling Rabbit.
The aforementioned cocktail lounge has – by far – the most inimitable vibe any area establishment has had for some time.
With this said, I arrived at the Falling Rabbit a few minutes past 9:30 p.m. Thursday night returning from some out-of-state work. I had a hunch my house was quiet, and sometimes when I come waltzing through the door upon entry, I’m too loud, and the house is – or already has begun – settling down for the evening.
I decided my favorite cocktail in recent weeks, Three Raccoons in A Trench Coat (aptly named, and you’ll realize why if you stop in to have one) would give me time to mellow out before walking in my home from a day’s travel.
I was there for about 40 minutes because I had conversations I did not expect to have among people whom I’ve seen before but could not recognize while I observed them among the entire room.
The crowd looked a little different.
It was my first time in the lounge where almost the entire group looked like they were affiliated with a common organization. Before I noticed the body language and heard some of the conversation, I figured it was a group of orthopedic industry folks, whose majority was likely comprised of out-of-towners.
I realized I was wrong when first, I realized the bartenders interacted among some of these patrons as if they had not met the first time, and, second, the alphas in the group settling the tabs appeared to be genuinely liked among the rest of the folks there who likely worked with or for them.
When one gentleman sat to my left forming our isosceles triangle at the bar’s corner near the door we began to talk, and when he recognized me – but I did not immediately recognize him - I was embarrassed.
You’ve indulged my preamble short of 370 words into this column to get to my first point.
There are familiar faces and voices people might not recognize if they are in a different setting because you don’t place some people in certain backgrounds. This crowd, by the way, looked more business-like than other crowds I’d seen at different evenings and times of the evening. As soon as I introduced my name, however, they knew who I was right away, so I was embarrassed about meeting three very, or somewhat, familiar faces and not recognizing them without a reintroduction.
We got over that speed bump right away, and each gentleman was genuinely friendly, curious about me, and one offered some unsolicited advice.
On that latter issue, this is the kind of advice I welcome the most while some folks don’t. It was sincere, and I don’t ask people if they like my column anyway, so it was a topic shift that was not watered down.
The last 6 ½ years of my 10 Air Force years were spent (often) in rooms where flag officers (those at the O-6 pay grade or higher) with combat flying experience were placed into their roles to be benevolent dictators expected to maintain successful operating levels, or to quickly turn around challenged organizations. Almost all action items or feedback – positive or negative – cut right to the chase.
It’s easy for me to welcome constructive feedback with genuine candor thanks to my years in the Air Force.
It’s interesting because I’ve enjoyed my role as your Saturday columnist, but I thought my work was soggy these days. Last week’s “Can’t Feel Nuthin’” was one symptom among a longer list of things I’ve wondered about recently.
These gentlemen told me they liked the column, and they read it often. One of them suggested there is a part of my frame of reference that doesn’t matter to area readers. I left for home later feeling encouraged to continue.
Frankly, all week, especially during the nearly 11 hours round trip in the car, I was giving serious thought to writing a farewell piece after the winter sports season.
As far as the Falling Rabbit goes, if you’re there at varying times you’ll see different groups and different types of people there, comparatively polar in some cases at the same time or depending on the time of evening you’re there, but I always enjoy myself.
My 40 minutes at the Falling Rabbit Thursday night bore more fruit than just settling down by myself away from the crowd before walking through the door at home.