ONCE UPON A TIME, there was a woman who wasn't particularly unhappy but, nonetheless, her life wasn't perfect. She was missing something in her life but was also unsure as to what it was that was missing. Her friends told her that she was fine and whatever was missing from her life would find its way into her life or she didn't really need it in the first place. She was also told by her friends that she had all that anyone would ever want in this world: she had enough money to live on comfortably and she had peace of mind at night that allowed her to sleep. What else could she possibly want from this or any other life?
One day the woman, Marcia, decided that she was going to go in search of the missing element in her life. She went on a hike in the woods but didn't find anything there that she needed to make her feel whole. Then, she went to the mall thinking that whatever she wanted was usually there so surely whatever it was, would be there also; however, she came home empty-handed because there was nothing there that could give her happiness either.
Then she went on a date with a man and began to realize that what she wanted was a companion in her life, someone to share her life with totally and completely! Marcia was excited at the prospect of not only finding out what it was that she wanted but also at the prospect of investigating the possibilities of what was to be offered to her. One after another, for months and months, Marcia went out with one man and then another and then another but she couldn't find one that fit for her the way she knew he should fit to be with her. Some were too short or too bald or too talkative or not talkative enough or too opinionated or too wishy-washy; no one was a "perfect fit"!
Marcia had heard that many people found friends through the internet so, she put an advertisement on a "Personals Column":
Woman Seeking Man
At first, there were no responses and then, slowly, one by one, responses began to come to Marcia by way of emails from different men. All of them claimed to be a "romantic" but most of them had difficulty spelling the word "romantic"! Then, one day, an email came from a man:The Lost Arts
38 years old, 5' 7"
Body Type: A Few Extra Pounds
Relationship Long-term
Ethnicity Caucasian
Religion None/Agnostic
Other Smoker
Drinks
Doesn't Have Children
Doesn't Want Children
Description:
I'm in search of the lost art of romance.
Apparently, it is something that has
slipped through the fingers of MANkind
quicker than time itself. I'm an attractive,
voluptuously curvaceous young woman who still
believes that romance can live between a man and a
woman for years to come, if it is nurtured and
encouraged to grow. If you believe the same, are
between the ages of 36 and 42, tall-ish,
intelligent and humorous, perhaps we should talk.
Some arts haven't been lost...Indeed! Marcia was intrigued! Before this man had written to her, ten or more had tried to woo her attentions and affections but none so eloquently as this one! Marcia wrote an email back to Brian:
...it's just that when we strive for the Lancelot/Galahad ideal, yet just barely achieve Don Quixote (at least on a bad day) that it _appears_ that the art has been lost.Hi, I am Brian. Also sometimes the romantic arts are not lost, just rusty from disuse. About me, I am a DWPM, 36, 6'3", 200#. I stop for sunsets & rainbows 'cause I think they are cool, I forgot to breathe a few times while I was watching Riverdance... Likes: Chocolate, coffee ice cream, PBS, Classical & Classic Rock, theatre (trying to decide on a Shakespeare series for Ashland this summer). Lordy, I sound like one-o-them guys on the Dating Game. I also like Monty Python. I am a voracious reader, a good/great cook who can also do dishes (better shared, both that is). That's enough resume for now, methinks. I am a _hopeful_ romantic, one who is looking for a friend and life partner, one who understands about unexpected flowers and spontaneous hugs. I hope that you find the above intriguing enough to write back.
Take Care, Brian
Brian,Marcia sent the email very hopeful of what was to come in response from Brian. The eloquence of his words, the thought of his enchantment with rainbows, the fascination with Monty Python were all things that Marcia put together as being a man of complex thought and intellect which were characteristics Marcia always found amusing and enjoyable in a companion.I am intrigued enough to write back! In fact, I'm kinda wondering where the heck you've been!
I've received a lot of responses ...
...Talk with you soon,
Marcia
Unfortunately, the Fates had another plan: the email that Marcia sent to Brian came bouncing back to her system--the email address was invalid! At first, Marcia threw her hands up in the air, exclaiming to herself that it of course would be that way because he sounded too perfect to begin with so how could he possibly be real? She tried the same email address again but carefully re-typing it to make sure that she entered it correctly.
From: "Marcia Lee" <marcialee>She hoped she didn't sound desperate but she was concerned that she might lose the one frog that sounded as though he could be her prince. Alas, however, another email came bouncing back to her computer. Then, being somewhat computer-savvy, she decided to try a variation on the email address that he had given thinking that she had either out-smarted him or, she hoped more, to find him.
To: bpbilbrey
Subject: Re: Some arts haven't been lost...I have tried to send a response but received a daemon; let me know if you get this email.
From: "Marcia Lee" <marcialee>There was no message that went with that email but she would know if it came bouncing back to her just the same. Secretly, she hoped it didn't bounce back because she really wanted to know more about this Brian that had so subtly entered her life and, apparently, almost immediately enchanted her.
To: bbilbrey
Subject: Re: Some arts haven't been lost...
With the last message, nothing happened with her email, not even a bounce-back message. Perplexed at what was happening with the internet, she tried the second address again to see what would happen and this time, she included her original message:
From: "Marcia Lee" <marcialee>She waited in great anticipation still not having any idea of what was happening! Soon, Marcia found a response to her email messages from Brian--she had gotten through to him!!!
To: bbilbrey
Subject: Re: Some arts haven't been lost...I keep getting mailer-daemons from the address shown below so now I'm going to start on variations!
Hopefully, something will get through!
----- Begin Included Message -----
From: "Marcia Lee" <marcialee>
To: bpbilbrey
Subject: Re: Some arts haven't been lost...Brian,
I am intrigued enough to write back! In fact, I'm kinda wondering where the heck you've been!
I've received a lot of responses (well, okay, about 10 or so) from my ad on HotMail but, yours is the first that I'm responding to. That's not to make you feel honored but, because I am intrigued, for sure!
So, to tell you a little more about myself, I am 5'7", 160# (yes, I could stand to lose another 20 and I am working on it!), auburn hair, hazel eyes (they're striped actually, in circles: brown, green, gold and then the pupil), intelligent, funny, optimistic and an incurable romantic. Yes, I like to receive the unexpected flowers but I also like to give the unexpected flowers. I enjoy cooking and agree that it is more fun when shared (but I don't like to do dishes-- that's why God invented dishwashers!). I love to travel and take long weekends around the area (I haven't seen very much of Northern California for someone who has been here for almost 10 years!).
All of that being said, if you're still interested, I have a picture that I could send online to you. Let me know and, if you have one, too, we can do an exchange.
Talk with you soon,
Marcia
----- End Included Message -----
From: bbilbrey <bbilbrey>He had written again! Marcia was excited with the possibilities of what was happening. With this email, Brian had sent a picture of flowers for her. He was certainly beginning to have the appearances of being a romantic with that kind of gesture!
To: Marcia Lee <marcialee>
Subject: Re: Some arts haven't been lost...Dear Marcia,
Funny, that's just what my mom called me, "Dishwasher." At least she taught me to cook also. I will write more later today, but just received your message and wanted to acknowledge receipt. Thanks for writing back. You can find a couple of pictures of me on my shrine page (I mean personal web page...I have some family photos to scan and put up there too, but right now there's just two, of me) at http://home.pacbell.net/bbilbrey. I would love for you to send me a picture. Have a lovely day.
Regards,
Brian
Before she even had a chance to write him back, he sent another brief note to explain which emails he had received. At this point, Marcia didn't seem to care if he received any of the email "daemon" messages, she was just grateful to have him receiving her messages!
From: bbilbrey <bbilbrey>Marcia smiled wryly to herself thinking about the hopeful potential of their meeting actually working out. She was a bit disenchanted with that potential because she had met too many people in the past few months over too many cups of Starbucks mochas.
To: Marcia Lee <marcialee>
Subject: Re: Some arts haven't been lost...Hi, Marcia,
Oh, btw, I first received a blank message... just a header from about 7:45am, then I received your full message from 8:10am. Thanks for being persistent. And as to where I've been, well, really, off the market since my divorce 6 years ago, but being content with being me and being "happy" and alone are two very different concepts. I am content, but am looking for happiness. Not too much to ask, is it? Besides, if this does click for us, we could always thank the Internet... because even though this is a terribly small world in some ways (and do I ever have some weird stories related to that concept), there are an awful lot of the 5 billion or so people whom I will never be privileged to meet in person. ttyl.
Take Care,
Brian
From: "Marcia Lee" <marcialee>For all intents and purposes, from the outside, Marcia appeared to be a strong-willed, self-confident woman but, with regard to the handsome man that she saw at the website he referenced, she was nervous about his acceptance of her appearance. She had hoped that he would find her attractive and looked forward to hearing from him again trying not to get her hopes up too much but then, there came another email from him.
To: marcialee, bbilbrey
Subject: Re: Some arts haven't been lost...Brian,
First, thank you for the beautiful bouquet. You know right from the start, how to get to a lady, don't you? For your viewing enjoyment, I have attached a jpeg file of me that's about five months old. The good news is that I feel that I look better now than I did those five months ago (hair, etc.). If its any consolation, I was recently told by a male friend that I'm prettier in person than that picture begins to show!
Your web page pictures are really great pictures. I can't decide if I do or do not like the beard . . . hmm, I'll have to think on that. If you're still interested, let's keep talking! Tell me more about yourself. What do you do to relax? Are you "into" the outdoors?Looking forward to hearing from you.
Marcia
PS: By the way, since I know your full name, you should know mine: Marcia Lee (my middle name) Dykstra (no, I'm not related to Lenny!)
From: bbilbrey <bbilbrey>He was still interested!! Marcia was thrilled!! He had asked for a "novella" for his next reply from her and, being totally in character for her to ramble on about herself, she began a lengthy reply to him.
To: Marcia Lee <marcialee>
Subject: Oh, right, the baseball player...Dear Marcia,
I am sorry to admit that I had to do a search to find out who Len Dykstra was, once I saw the baseball association, I remembered, but I am a baseball fan, not fan-atic. Believe it or not, there was a Bilbrey who was a baseball player, back in the late fifties. I found a web reference to James Bilbrey when I was spelunking once, noted the site, and sent a reference to my dad, figuring he'd get a kick out of it. Well, he did, but informed me that our not so illustrious relative had only played for about 1 inning in the majors. Oh, well.
I did go web-shopping for roses for you, and hope you enjoyed them, and others to follow. These don't smell as nice though, somehow. The beard has filled in, and is finally ready for its first trim, this weekend. What you saw at my site was a 2-1/2 week version. (v0.8). I had a beard through all of the 80's, then off by 91, and not since until I re-started this one in the first week of December. I do like it, but you could maybe gain the right to vote on the matter...
Relaxation... what a concept. Let's see, last weekend, on Saturday, I went out 92 to the coast and south until I felt like stopping, then went out onto a beach (couldn't tell you which one, somewhere between Half Moon Bay and Ano Nuevo) and watched the waves, collected a nice sand dollar, kids & dogs playing frisbee. Calming and nice. Typical evening recently: Homeward bound, store if necessary, home, scan the newspaper, turn on classical (FM 102.9 ? KDFC), cook and eat. Sometimes finish out the evening with some PBS, or leave on the radio & read. Haven't gone out much, it's such a scene, and it can (not always, but can) be really weird being out and single, friends constantly trying to hook you up... yada yada yada. I do like most music, and will go out to concerts (rock or classical) several a year (saw Phil Collins and some of the Mostly Mozart series last year). I love theatre, and am trying to make a firm decision on when/which shows to buy for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. Tough, because I have to plan several months in advance for these, and don't have anyone to go with...
I like movies, but haven't taken time recently. Occasionally dinner with friends from work, but I have been pretty much a homebody for the last few. On the outdoors side of things, I ski, have been known to camp and fish (though if I have a good book, it doesn't matter whether they're biting or not), water ski on occasion, hike sometimes. I have a strong Irish streak in me that means I don't tan, just burn, peel, pale again. I think Procul Harum wrote that song for me, sometimes. Is that enough for now? Oh, I know... you should know, I don't drink (excepting maybe a glass of champagne on New Year's). Doesn't bother me when others do, though, unless they are self-destructive about it. Definitely enough for now. How about you, can you write me a novella now? 'Til I hear from you again,
Take Care,
Brian.
From: "Marcia Lee" <marcialee>Marcia had issued a challenge: would he give up his telephone number? She hoped that he would and, deep down inside of her, she knew he would because he was all too interested on email not to be curious about the voice and "live" personality of the person behind the email.
To: bbilbrey
Subject: Re: Oh, right, the baseball player...Brian,
>I am sorry to admit that I had to do a search to find out who LenWhen I first heard Lenny Dykstra's name, I was driving thru New York and, when I stopped for the night to get a room, they wouldn't believe that I wasn't related to him. I kept trying to find out who he was and they thought I was pretending not to know and gave me a discounted room anyway. It was cheaper and made an obvious impression on me but, from what I've heard, its apparently a good thing that he isn't related to me!
>Dykstra was, once I saw the baseball association, I remembered, but I
>am a baseball fan, not fan-atic. Believe it or not, there was a
>Bilbrey who was a baseball player, back in the late fifties. I found
>a web reference to James Bilbrey when I was spelunking once, noted
>the site, and sent a reference to my dad, figuring he'd get a kick
>out of it. Well, he did, but informed me that our not so illustrious
>relative had only played for about 1 inning in the majors. Oh, well.Anyway, so you have a relative that actually lived "Field of Dreams", eh? That's fun! I'm not even a baseball fanatic to the point of knowing who is on what team; I like to watch games live but not on TV. Too boring and long to get through!
> I did go web-shopping for roses for you, and hope you enjoyed them,No, I'm sure but it is a sweet gesture just the same! (Thank you again!)
>and others to follow. These don't smell as nice though, somehow.>The beard has filled in, and is finally ready for its first trim,We'll just have to see where this goes for all of that, huh?
>this weekend. What you saw at my site was a 2-1/2 week version.
>(v0.8). I had a beard through all of the 80's, then off by 91, and
>not since until I re-started this one in the first week of December.
>I do like it, but you could maybe gain the right to vote on the
>matter...> Relaxation... what a concept. Let's see, last weekend, on Saturday,Were these your kids or just some that you found on the beach? I don't know of too many people who have collected kids in their lifetime. That's an interesting hobby! ;>)
>I went out 92 to the coast and south until I felt like stopping, then
>went out onto a beach (couldn't tell you which one, somewhere >between Half Moon Bay and Ano Nuevo) and watched the waves, >collected a nice sand dollar, kids & dogs playing frisbee. Calming and >nice.>Typical evening recently: Homeward bound, store if necessary, home,When I first separated (my divorce will be final this weekend), I specifically told all of my friends NOT to fix me up with people. Yikes, their marriages were in such bad shape, I didn't want to think about what they would consider perfect for me!!
>scan the newspaper, turn on classical (FM 102.9 ? KDFC), cook and
>eat. Sometimes finish out the evening with some PBS, or leave on the
>radio & read. Haven't gone out much, it's such a scene, and it can
>(not always, but can) be really weird being out and single, friends
>constantly trying to hook you up... yada yada yada.>I do like most music, and will go out to concerts (rock or classical)I've never heard about this? Is it like a Rennaisance Faire? Tell me more!!
>several a year (saw Phil Colliins and some of the Mostly Mozart
>series last year). I love theatre, and am trying to make a firm
>decision on when/which shows to buy for the Oregon Shakespeare
>Festival in Ashland. Tough, because I have to plan several
>months in advance for these, and don't have anyone to go with...> I like movies, but haven't taken time recently. Occasionally dinnerWhy, if I may ask?
>with friends from work, but I have been pretty much a homebody for
>the last few.>On the outdoors side of things, I ski, have been known to camp andI'm the same way when it comes to fishing but, upon occasion, I don't even bother to put bait on the line! Give me my Big Chief Notepad to write and I'm a happy camper.
>fish (though if I have a good book, it doesn't matter whether they're
>biting or not), water ski on occasion, hike sometimes. I have a strong
>Irish streak in me that means I don't tan, just burn, peel, pale
>again. I think Procul Harum wrote that song for me, sometimes.>Is that enough for now?You make it sound like I'm torturing you, Brian!! Its kinda hard to get to know someone on email if they don't WRITE, y'know?>Oh, I know... you should know, I don't drink (excepting maybe a glassI do drink but NEVER to excess. If you don't drink, that's fine, too. Doesn't bother me that you don't drink, either.
>of champagne on New Year's). Doesn't bother me when others do,
>though, unless they are self-destructive about it.>Definitely enough for now. How about you, can you write me a novellaOkay, so you want a novella, eh? (Those were someone's famous last words, weren't they?)
>now? 'Til I hear from you again,I grew up on a strawberry farm in Michigan and, as a result, hate strawberries! Do NOT put them in my champagne, even on New Years, but, if coerced nicely, I will make you my mother's killer strawberry shortcake recipe!
I am the youngest of five kids: My oldest sister and only brother live in Michigan, I have a sister (and her family) that live in Brazil as missionaries, and I have a sister that I don't talk to that is somewhere between Maine and California right now. (She is a very long story-- totally bizarre!) My parents have both passed on more than 10 years ago now.
I've been in the Bay Area for almost 10 years and love it; I've also lived in Dallas and Cincinnati. I loved Dallas, too, but not Cincinnati (it truly is the armpit of America!). I moved to Dallas to grow up, I moved to Cincinnati to get married and I moved to the Bay Area to write screenplays. I haven't accomplished the screenplays yet but, I enjoy the heck out of writing whenever I get a chance (couldja tell?). I usually write short stories and poetry when I'm not working on my screenplay. It tends to clear my mind of the clutter so there are good points to it.
What else? I'll tell you what, Brian. We can make this easier on you if you would like. If you give me your phone number, at some point over the weekend, I'll give you a call and maybe we can even get together for some coffee. I'm going to work Saturday but, I will be free on Sunday so we could meet then if you're available. If you're interested, give me your number and I'll talk with you at some point in the near future.
Well, that was the short version of the novella. There is, of course, much more to know but that will come with time.
Talk with you soon,
Marcia
From: bbilbrey <bbilbreyIt worked! She had his phone number and tonight, she was going to call him! When Marcia called the phone number he'd given her, she got his answering machine. She listened intently to the voice that was greeting her and decided that it was trustworthy enough to leave her phone number as well. After leaving her phone number, she waited a bit and logged into her computer to see if there were any other emails from him. There weren't so she got off-line again to find that there was a voicemail message from him.
To: Marcia Lee <marcialee>
Subject: And now for something completely different...Dear Marcia,
Thanks for the wonderful response. I am a part-time (very part) writer, and a full-time reader. So me asking for a novella won't be my last words. Way too much to respond to while I am supposed to be working, maybe some e-mail tonight, perhaps more this weekend. My home # is 510-555-1212, I will be in and out on Saturday (laundry, errands, boring stuff), but the machine will be on. Sunday is clear. You actually already have access to my work info, because of the work link on my resume (Yeah, I do need a more formal picture for that one.)
One particular point of interest from your message tho, nope, not my kids or dogs. I don't have any children of "my own". Aren't they their own, anyway? And no, you're not torturing me, it's just that the British sense of humour which I have learned values self-deprecating humour as high art, along with sarcasm. More when I can, have a lovely Friday.
Take Care,
Brian
Marcia called him back and, this time, he answered the phone. He had a deeply resonant voice that had warmth coddled in around it. They talked for a long time about Monty Python and Star Trek and decided that Sunday would be a good day for a coffee meeting.
The next day, Marcia had to work for a short time but after getting home, decided to check her email again. She wasn't really expecting anything from Brian but, deep inside of her, she again hoped that there would be something from him. She was not disappointed.
Dear Marcia,Marcia felt as though someone had reached up through her soul to tug at her heart when she read this email.G'day. I've been all over, and doing a drive-by on work, checking e-mail and decided to drop you a brief line. On the one hand, I've gotten a lot done today, from laundry to errands. On the other hand, the weekend's almost half over. On the gripping hand, I am looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Somehow, I don't think I've quite outgrown the feeling of butterflies. Se la guerre (As in all's fair in...).
So, until tomorrow, I remain
Your Humble Servant,
Brian.
Brian,In a passing conversation with the friend of a friend who claimed to be "psychic" in some ways, it was mentioned that Marcia would soon be meeting someone who would "sweep her off her feet". While the friend kept insisting that there was going to be a new man in her life that would be totally different from anyone else she had met in the past, Marcia was skeptical. It was just another coffee date; there was nothing that special about this one . . . she was almost sure.This email was a total surprise! I just figured that we'd be meeting tomorrow and wing it from there. Between the note and the "wanderlust", do you have any idea when my breathing will, again, be normal?
Needless to say, you've made quite an impression on me. A *VERY* impressive impression!!
Marcia
The next morning, Marcia dressed casually wearing jeans, a white cotton shirt and a brown wool jacket with a scarf draped over one shoulder. Because the weather was its usual January El Nino rainy, she had taken care to not spend too much time on her hair but to let it fall to its "natural" curl. She made sure that her make-up was "perfect" and then, she was ready to go.
It was raining as she drove to Milpitas on that Sunday morning; she had allowed enough time to drive carefully but still found herself driving the speed limits. Perhaps, she was a bit more anxious for this meeting than she had originally anticipated. Marcia parked her car and checked her hair one last time.
When she walked into the coffee shop, she glanced around the room where the small gathering of tables huddled. There was a couple with a child, a woman reading her newspaper intently, and a man with a beard, sitting alone, also reading a newspaper but there was a rose on the table where he sat. When Marcia looked at him and their eyes locked, she spoke: "Brian?" He smiled, folded the newspaper and stood to shake her hand, "Marcia." It was more of a question than a statement but there was a tone in his voice that was different than she'd heard before and made it difficult to define. Brian picked up the peach-colored rose that was on the table and handed it to her, "I thought you'd recognize me this way."
"Please . . . sit down. I'll get you a coffee?" He smiled at her as she nodded. "What would you like?" Marcia sniffed the rose and smiled wistfully and quickly responded with, "I'd like a mocha latte" and she sat down at his table.
As he turned to order her coffee, Marcia noticed that her hands were shaking and she was forgetting to breathe. When he returned to the table without her coffee, he said "They don’t have a ‘mocha latte’. " Nervously, Marcia replied, "Oh, right, I meant just a mocha".
When he brought her coffee, she looked into his eyes and saw his hand shaking as he set the coffee on their table. He sat down across from her and smile at her . . . when their eyes met, she saw it there, too.
Ah, this one was different!
Marcia Bilbrey, Copyright 1998
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