Buying drinks for strangers

On Tuesday I met up with people from a website called Urban75, it
has a vibrant talkboard which I love posting on. I was very nervous
when I got to the pub in Bethnal Green. I bought my pint and wandered
around the bar having no idea who they were. It was like blind date, I
asked at 3 tables but no one had any idea who I was talking about.
Including the comedian Dave Gorman who I recognised from his TV show
about his name.

Eventually someone saw my plight and guessed that I was Marty21 and I
joined a group of mostly younger people. At 37 this seems to be
happening more and more. I don't have kids and as I age, more and more
friends are having them and therefore not going out as much. I have
this vision of me at 60 meeting strange people off the internet, and
finding out I am the only person there born in the twentieth
century.

So I bought drinks for strangers, and for strangers with unusual user
names, rather like ABC forums. Yossarian, countonezero, cliffchuff,
citizen66,phototrophic, eastender...I didn't buy all of them drinks but
it felt strange to be there with people who only knew me from what I
wrote on their boards. Rather like the first time I went to an ABC gig
and Emily, the then editor was such a sweetie and made time to talk to
me.

Yesterday I had a second interview for quite a posh job. I took the day
off, showered, shaved, ironed my shirt, put on my best suit. I looked
the business. Then I entered the outside world. On the tube it was like
a sauna so I emerged in Pimlico drenched in sweat, to find it in the
middle of a torrential rain storm. That 5 minute walk from the station
undid all my preening efforts, I turned up dripping wet and not really
caring whether I got the job or not.

I found myself liking the people who interviewed me, strangers as well.
Maybe I should have bought them a drink too...