Saturday in S.A.

I rarely feel lonely, but sometimes, on a Saturday night, just because it's Saturday night and I don't have a date (weren't Saturdays made for dates?), just for fun, I hum this old song....

"Well, it's Saturday night,
and I ain't got nobody,
Got some money
cause I just got paid....
How I wish I had someone to talk to,
I'm in an awful way..."

Yesterday was a fun day.  Garage sales and thrift shops and late lunch at Tip Tops with Kate.  Kate bought pretty pasta bowls and I bought a set of little Goodwill dishes for writing groups and a pizza peel (though until Kate told me what I'd bought I thought it was a wooden chopping block with a handle.) I also bought a book by George Dawsom, a 101-year-old black man who learned to read at the age of 98: Life is So Good. Kate and I split the shrimp dinner and the delicious chocolate ice box pie. Then a long after-lunch nap for me.

Tonight, I was supposed to meet a few friends at The Cove to listen to music by Onel and the Band.  I thought I was too tired, but finally decided to pull myself up and out and leave the house and join them. It's so easy to spend Saturday nights alone, watching movies on the laptop or reading or moving furniture around.  Driving, I enjoyed the beautiful San Antonio skyline all lit up.

Trying to talk outside on the patio with loud music was hard--so three of us finally gave up on talking and went inside for a better listen.  "We should get out more!" we all said to each other.  "Saturday nights should be more fun!" It was invigorating to listen to some terrific jazz--a keyboard, two guitars, a sax, a drummer, and two vocalists.

It was beautiful to drive home under an almost-full moon, knowing that everyone was looking at the same glowing moon.

I remember once someone said that if you look at your problems up close, it's like looking at a dime two inches from your face.  When you walk up the mountain and leave that dime alone, it gets smaller and smaller with each step. By the time you get to the top of the mountain, you can't even see the dime.  Listening to music takes you up to the top of the mountain.

I'm resolving to spend Saturday nights in the company of friends and music more often, less talking.  I'm going to sing some different tunes on Saturday nights from now on.