Pulling the Ripcord
Feb. 22nd, 2004 02:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eggwardsTonight I went to the Ripcord.
Yep. By myself, without knowing if there would be someone there I knew. I circled the neighborhood once, cursed the lack of parking, and ran off to my office building, not too far away, to take care of business, and try to once again talk myself into going.
While in the bathroom, I could feel my self-esteem sinking. I'm feeling like going to the bar is now a matter of testing my manhood, and that's not a good feeling. In fact, it just makes me feel stupid and more childish. Still, I summoned a little courage, and drove back to the Montrose, parked and walked to the bar.
Got in, got a beer, and noticed there wasn't that big of a crowd. Tonight was Houston Bear night at another bar, but around midnight, they move to the Ripcord. From what I hear, the Ripcord is a much better bar. The other one, Mary's gives a special deal to the Bears to do their events on Saturday, whereas the Ripcord could only do it on Fridays, or something. Whatever, it's unimportant.
Well, tonight they must have been tired, because they weren't there. I got in at 12:30 and didn't see many of the regulars. I wandered through the bar, and out to the patio. No one I had seen before. I have a hard enough time trying to look, because I normally think it's rude to look at people you don't know. I'm the last person who will go trolling as I walk through the bar. I have to stop, then look. I can't actually cruise, I guess. Finally, I saw some folks at the video games (which I've never seen anyone play). I went over, said hi and...
Well, that was about it. I didn't have much to say to them, and ditto for them. We just stood there.
And stood there.
I looked around, and I saw some really cute guys, including someone I think Chris had pointed out on Bear 411 - from Beaumont, I think. Unfortunately, all of the cute folks are surrounded by other people. I already feel silly going up to someone and telling them they look cute. Having to fight the onlookers just doesn't make it worth it to me.
Then no one came up to me, either. I don't know if I needed to look more open (I tried) or I should have stayed longer, but i felt stupid and unattractive. When things are at low ebb, you should go somewhere affirming, right? Yeah, gay bars, so affirming.
Yea, maybe I would have done better if I had stayed more than 30 minutes. Still, around then I had finished my beer, it was smokey, and there was a dog waiting on me at home. I chucked the beer, looked around one last time, and got the hell out of there.
Chris is online chatting with me, talking me down a bit. Damn I'm lucky to have him. Personally, I'm going to give up on this stupid quest to be more "manly". There's no need to put myself through this. There's no need to make myself feel dumb, and anxious and a loser. There's no need to walk the small streets of the Montrose to get to a dark bar where you don't know people, so you close up and look even more unapproachable. It works wonders.
Personally, I'm going to see if the bears would like to start a coffee night, or a movie night. Screw the bars. Lets do something else.
I'm not going to the bars alone again. Done.
Yep. By myself, without knowing if there would be someone there I knew. I circled the neighborhood once, cursed the lack of parking, and ran off to my office building, not too far away, to take care of business, and try to once again talk myself into going.
While in the bathroom, I could feel my self-esteem sinking. I'm feeling like going to the bar is now a matter of testing my manhood, and that's not a good feeling. In fact, it just makes me feel stupid and more childish. Still, I summoned a little courage, and drove back to the Montrose, parked and walked to the bar.
Got in, got a beer, and noticed there wasn't that big of a crowd. Tonight was Houston Bear night at another bar, but around midnight, they move to the Ripcord. From what I hear, the Ripcord is a much better bar. The other one, Mary's gives a special deal to the Bears to do their events on Saturday, whereas the Ripcord could only do it on Fridays, or something. Whatever, it's unimportant.
Well, tonight they must have been tired, because they weren't there. I got in at 12:30 and didn't see many of the regulars. I wandered through the bar, and out to the patio. No one I had seen before. I have a hard enough time trying to look, because I normally think it's rude to look at people you don't know. I'm the last person who will go trolling as I walk through the bar. I have to stop, then look. I can't actually cruise, I guess. Finally, I saw some folks at the video games (which I've never seen anyone play). I went over, said hi and...
Well, that was about it. I didn't have much to say to them, and ditto for them. We just stood there.
And stood there.
I looked around, and I saw some really cute guys, including someone I think Chris had pointed out on Bear 411 - from Beaumont, I think. Unfortunately, all of the cute folks are surrounded by other people. I already feel silly going up to someone and telling them they look cute. Having to fight the onlookers just doesn't make it worth it to me.
Then no one came up to me, either. I don't know if I needed to look more open (I tried) or I should have stayed longer, but i felt stupid and unattractive. When things are at low ebb, you should go somewhere affirming, right? Yeah, gay bars, so affirming.
Yea, maybe I would have done better if I had stayed more than 30 minutes. Still, around then I had finished my beer, it was smokey, and there was a dog waiting on me at home. I chucked the beer, looked around one last time, and got the hell out of there.
Chris is online chatting with me, talking me down a bit. Damn I'm lucky to have him. Personally, I'm going to give up on this stupid quest to be more "manly". There's no need to put myself through this. There's no need to make myself feel dumb, and anxious and a loser. There's no need to walk the small streets of the Montrose to get to a dark bar where you don't know people, so you close up and look even more unapproachable. It works wonders.
Personally, I'm going to see if the bears would like to start a coffee night, or a movie night. Screw the bars. Lets do something else.
I'm not going to the bars alone again. Done.
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Re:
Date: 2004-02-22 10:06 am (UTC)I'm going to go there in the next couple of weeks to find out everything we need to know.
Would be cool if you could make it. :o)
Re:
As far as bars go, it depends on if people perceive you as approachable. Don't stand in a corner looking like why am I even here. Don't stand there with your arms folded, move with the music, and make eye contact. Have some topics in your head to talk about, when someone approaches you. If you approach someone, and run out of things to say... excuse yourself and tell him you hope you can talk to him again sometime (this way he knows you are interested)
And don't make yourself miserable if things don't work out. You are there to have a good time, so if you get to talk to someone, great... if you feel bord, get the hell out of there. Don't base your self-esteem on what happens in a bar. You just empower something to gain control over you when you do. If that is what is happening already ... stay away from the bar for a few months.