Hello Blog Readers,
First off, I would like to thank everyone
who has reached out to me with words of praise on my recent TV debut on the
Rachael Ray Show. I had been keeping it under wraps, but now that it has aired
and on repeat, I can finally say that it was such a great experience. I would
also like to thank everyone as well on the praise and comments on this blog I
am writing. I love what I am sharing and happy to see that it is getting the
attention that it is. Please continue to spread the word and if anyone would
like to book me for anymore TV or public speaking events, please reach out to
me.
I thought I would tell you today about a
date I had earlier this year that made me do a double take and internally curl
up in a ball. So, I met this guy online (duh, because how else do people meet
these days.) We start chatting up and talking about likes of music and various
NYC events that we both would want to attend. He finally asks me out and I
agree. He says he has tickets to an opera performance that the Manhattan School
of Music is putting on in Riverside in the city and would love to take me. Now,
as you are reading this, you are probably thinking, "Whoa, Ilana, this is
going to be good." And just like the rest of you, I had the same
original impression.
The day finally comes and I get myself
dolled up for the evening. I hop in an uber to get uptown to the venue. He
greets me out front and we walk in together and grab our seats. As the soloist
begins her aria, he whispers to me asking if I enjoy the woman's voice. I tell
him, she is really good. He goes on to tell me that he knows her and that they
used to date back in the day but now have remained friends. Well, as you can
imagine I compose myself well throughout the performance to just brush that
comment to the side. (But really, who brings a date to see their ex perform?)
The opera ends and says that he had planned we can grab some dinner after the
performance. I agree and we walk over to a local Italian spot he knows. It was
completely packed and the wait time was over an hour. (Gentlemen: Please make
reservations. It will cause less hardship and totally impress us that you
planned in advance.) I pull out my phone and suggest several other restaurants
nearby. My date then goes on to say, "Well, as long as there are
vegetarian options since I am vegetarian, and Oh, by the way I don't drink
alcohol either." I think I stuttered and almost tripped in my step when he
said those words. I know my personal trainer at this point is jumping for joy
and would be saying this guy is a keeper. As we walk the streets to the other
restaurant, I start to analyze everything that may progress further down the
line if we continue to date more and more. I begin to think I would be okay
with the guy being a vegetarian. He is health conscious and I think I could
manage most days to stick to a plant based diet, but sneak at work for lunch
some animal proteins. I like my meat. (Hey, no dirty thoughts people! LoL) But,
what about the 2nd issue, he does not drink alcohol. How I am suppose to go out
without having an alcoholic beverage? I mean, I am not an alcoholic, but
alcohol has been used in dating for so long. It has become a dating norm to go
out and meet up. I enjoy a fine wine or cocktail from time to time. But, on the
other hand, he would always be "DD" and I would never have to worry
how we would get home. I would feel safe. I should be respectful, and I was. On
our date, I stuck to having a vegetarian meal and no alcohol all evening. The
conversation was fine talking about our respective careers, families and
commonalities. I did ask his reasons for being vegetarian and not drinking
alcohol. He had very legit reasons to which I respect his choices. But the more
we chatted, the more my head was stuck on those 2 life choices. I had already
forgotten the fact that we went to see his ex girlfriend perform in an opera as
a first date.
As the gentlemen that he was, he called an
uber for me to take me home. But the gentlemen that he was on the date, was not
the same gentlemen post date. As like many men I have run into these days, they
are nice and sweet on the date but forget the follow-up. Yet again, we left
things as it was that night and I never heard back from him. Another phantom
ghost disappears into the night. In the end, it was probably for the better. I
know for myself it would have been a difficult thing for me to adjust to someone
who is a non-alcoholic AND vegetarian, but for love you make things work. The
lesson I learned from this date was that you shouldn't judge a book by its
cover. It's what's inside that matters. Take the time and listen to the story.
Do not cross them off your list right away. There are ways to make things work.
It can be a challenge, but it also can be beneficial.
Besos,
Ilana
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