Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Last night Josh and I hired a babysitter for the first time.  We wanted to go see a movie and have dinner, just the two of us.  Well, the movie didn't wind up happening, because the show times just didn't work with our dinner and babysitter arrangements.  So, dinner it was.

We went to Gabe's Downtown in Villa Rica.  Between it being one of Josh's accounts for work, us knowing a few of the employees, and this being where lots of our acquaintances in the community come to have dinner, it was a very enjoyable outing.  It just feels good to go into a restaurant and have the bartender yell out (over a crowd of people at the bar), "Josh! Marcie!"  And then, while Josh and I enjoyed our drinks at the bar while waiting for a table (for Josh, a Manhattan - for me, water with lemon), to have a couple of the servers and then the owner's wife come over and chat with us for a little bit.

While we enjoyed our (delicious) meal, our server sat with us for a while, and then our other friend came over and did the same.  Our meal wound up being completely comped, so when we got up to leave, we went into the kitchen to thank Gabe, the owner. 

On our way out we spotted some acquaintances of ours from when each of us was on a committee for the city.  We stood at the bar for another 15 minutes talking to them.

It just feels so good to get out and socialize.  Josh is used to this - this is what he does for his job.  He goes out to restaurants and socializes with the bartenders, servers, owners, and while doing that, probably runs into people he knows and chats with them too.  But for me... I haven't done that in - oh, let's see, Bennett turned four in December - about four years.

Josh and I used to go up to Fabiano's all the time to hang out, eat dinner, play trivia, or just sit at the bar and split a pitcher of beer.  We'd talk to the bartender (this is how we met our good friend, Dustin), the servers, and our friends and neighbors who would be in there too, doing the same thing.  Then we'd walk back home, often with a couple people joining us.

I remember there was this one neighbor of ours that we always saw out.  The husband.  We'd always spend some time talking with him, and we'd ask how his wife was.  We hardly ever saw her out.  Every once in a while she'd be with him, but it was very rare.  They had a small child.  I remember wondering why she was never hanging out with him, with or without the baby.  I thought she must have just been a little anti-social or something.

Oh my gosh.  Do I ever understand it now.  Because I am her.  I have been for four years.  Josh still goes out every once in a while, either with my brothers, or a friend that's in town or something.  And I'm never there with him.  Ever.  I'm always at home, taking care of our brood.  Which is totally fine with me - I'm not that interested in hanging at the bar anymore, you know?  And I would guess that our neighbor felt the same way back when I was labeling her "anti-social."

But anyway, last night reminded me of how good it feels to go into a place and have everyone know you and greet you so warmly.  You feel like part of the community, and I haven't felt like a part of the community in a while.  My own choice, but still.  It was a nice reminder that they're still out there when I'm ready to participate again.