Blind Date


“I've never been on a blind date,” I state,
feeling a mixture of pride and sorrow.
“I haven't either,” my wife responds immediately,
looking away from the TV screen.

I look at her to see if she is kidding.
But she isn't.
“Yes you have,” I say. “You've been on a blind date.”
A quizzical look crosses her face.

“In college, remember,
when you decided you needed to date other guys.”
“Oh that. I forgot all about that.”

“So you're one up on me,” I continue,
“seeing as I've never been on a blind date
and you have.” I guess it is pride I'm feeling.
I've never had to resort to a blind date
like my wife has.
“Yup, I'm one up on you, ha, ha,” she kids me,
turning her attention back to the TV.

Of course I can't help but reflect
on how that blind date of hers, a date she dismisses
out of hand, that ha ha blind date of hers,
was actually the worst day of my entire life.
The day she sent me away
so she could spend the day with another guy,
the day I could have lost her,
the most beautiful woman I have ever known.

I guess the laugh's on her though,
because her stupid blind date was a fiasco
and she ended up stuck with me forever, poor thing.


* Mike Estabrook lives in New England and is a regular IS&T contributor.