OK, I just have a sec but I’m so amused by something that I have to tell you about it. I am at a coffee shop close to Melissa’s apartment. The movers packed her stuff yesterday and are putting it in the truck as we speak. I’d been perched on her back porch but they needed to move that furniture, too. Besides, it’s cold here today and my hands were freezing. All that to say, I had to find a place close by and, as God would have it, it has wireless internet. The place was packed when I came in. Really cute decor with a half a dozen small round tables surrounded by four wing back chairs. By the time I ordered my coffee, several people departed and I threw my stuff in a chair as fast as I could. In a few minutes, two men – I think in late thirties – couldn’t find a place to sit so they asked if they could sit at my table. I told them to be my guest. They’d not distract me at all.
I totally lied.
Watching those two men try to do coffee was the most awkward thing I’ve ever seen. They couldn’t have been business associates or, goodness knows, they’d have talked business. And I would’ve been relieved. Instead, for the life of them, they could not think of one single thing to say. And, no, they weren’t trying to be quiet for my sake. The whole establishment is abuzz with conversation. One of them tapped on the top of his cup. The other made a few attempts at sentences starting with, “SO…” It was pitiful. Worse than pitiful. It was painful. I cannot tell you how tempted I was to help them. They needed rescuing in the worst way and I had at least five topics for conversation on the tip of my tongue: weddings, up-dos, grandboys who have learned to talk in full sentences, women’s Bible study, and baby girls moving to Atlanta with new husbands. But somehow I got the feeling they didn’t want my help. I tried not to look at them. It would have been too humiliating for them. So there I sat, pecking away on my computer, acting like I had no idea that they were having the world’s most awkward cup of coffee. Anyway, I don’t even think they were real coffee drinkers. Out of the corner of my discerning eye, I saw no pause for reflection after a single sip. Dead giveaway that they were posers. That was their first problem.
And here I am, communicating with a whole herd of women I’ve never even met with names that, five years ago, would’ve sounded like cartoon characters and about all manner of personal thing happening in my family’s life.
Yep. I love being a woman.
PS. I like to have died (that’s how my people always talked. I really do have some education. I just don’t sound like I do) over Mommy Dot Com sharing that she’d been nominated as “customer of the week” at her neighborhood Starbucks and nearly started crying when they announced someone else as the winner. Laughing my danged head off. You are customer of the week to all your siestas.
AMEN SIESTA! (gotta ask my husband if he was at a coffee shop yesterday….you very well could have been sitting with my husband)
Yep… I’ve seen posers such as those myself! Don’t seem to be enjoying life at all, not even that cup of coffee. There’s a reason why God put Eve in the garden with Adam… to enjoy one another…exceptin’ that Adam and Eve might shoulda had a cup of coffee instead of the fruit they consumed!!! Go figure.
I love being a woman, too and I’m glad I’m a Texan–I love to talk! That would’ve been excruciating for me to watch, I probably would’ve jumped right in with both feet. My kids always said I could talk to a fence post and know what forest it was from and what kind of tree it used to be in a matter of minutes.
Hope the move goes well for Melissa and Colin. Enjoy your coffee!
Amen, Siesta!!
Thanks for beautiful little glimpses into the life of a God-servant 🙂 Bless you.
“I saw no pause for reflection after a single sip.”
This made me laugh…it didn’t occur to me, at all, that I TOTALLY do that! Accompanied by a closing of the eyes, a deep breath, and probably and audible, “Mmmmm….”
I am glad I am a woman too. Because i can do all the above and get away with it!
😉
Beth,
I’m glad you are “you”. You are one of the few people I “know” or sort of in blogville, that has a running dialogue constantly in their head like I do.
My husband will sometimes just say, “Just relax. Don’t think so much”.
I really can’t help it. I try to figure out anything and everything when I am around people. I think I have always done that since I was a very small child.
When you come from a dysfunctional home life, you tend to live in your own imaginary world.
Boy that sounds like I have a “disassociative disorder”. I don’t. Thank GOD. I just loved make-believe and I still do.
Love and prayers from a cartoon buddy in the blogosphere 🙂
T
You just crack me up!
Have a great weekend…
Oh, how painful!!! Sounds like these guys need some java “tutoring.” 🙂 So glad that we, as women, don’t often find thinking of things to say all that hard…especially over coffee.
That’s men for you.
Too bad it wasn’t two women, y’all could have had the best time talking. What woman doesn’t like hearing about weddings, and grandbabies?
BTW – I have been loving all the wedding stories, and have cried at every single one of them. That’s pregnancy hormones for you! Thank you so much for sharing. I thought about you all last Saturday, and said a few prayers. Enjoy the memories, they are special!
That is sooooooo funny. The utter sadness of a lost conversation an good coffee. I like being a woman as well. I may not always be the most chatty one of the group, but I like to take part. Thanks for sharing.
hee hee! That was fun! Thank you so much for sharing with us. I so totally feel like I know you having just learned all about Melissa’s wedding. Last night I met someone from Texas, and I felt like I should talk with them about last weekend’s events!! Isn’t technology fun?
Men are so funny! A few weeks ago the men in our small group decided to get together and watch a movie-they weren’t particular which movie to see, so they just made up a time to meet. Low and behold there was nothing playing for another hour except 27 dresses!! Rather than go home they all snuck in the movie theater to watch the movie, hoping not to be seen. But get this—they wouldn’t even sit by each other, so they made sure to keep a chair in between each of them. They must have looked hilarious!! They originally told us they watched Rambo, then they came clean. Men are strange creatures!!
Beth, thanks for keeping us real and for sharing just everyday events. We love it out here in Siesta land!
Hilarious!!! MY husband always is in awe that I can talk for hours with my girlfriends and then pick up the phone to call them with something that I forgot to mention!! Hah!!! It’s so good that we have each other isn’t it???
Oh Yeah! I wouldn’t trade being a woman for anything! However, when I was a kid I wanted to be a boy in the worst way! They seemed to have all the fun! However did you manage to not help those two guys out? I don’t think I could have stood it!
Thanks for sharing your lives with us.
Prayers and Blessings
Carolyn
Girl you always manage to make me smile!
truly amazing is this blog and the things that have been shared. perhaps if they were 500 miles apart and able to tap out their conversation…and pour out their hearts behind a screen, they would have tons to say too. i love being apart of this community although at times i still feel a bit like a stalker of the Moore family! = ) thank you Beth, you are an amazing woman, whom i would love to sit down with coffee, since i have acquired the taste and chat.
Amen to that. It must be hard to be a man. In so many ways. Must have been a pretty tough day for you, too. Take care, dear one. Love,Annette
So many men just don’t understand the art of conversation. Maybe that’s why they don’t go to the bathroom in groups.
You are the greatest… what joy and smiles you bring to my face with your stories… and tears to my eyes with your many testimonies of Gods mercy,grace and love… thank you for sharing…
I’m glad I’m a woman too! Women would never meet like that and not say a word or have trouble starting up some kind of detailed conversation.
You should have just jumped in and told them all about the wedding! After all, they’re the one’s who invited themselves to sit with you. 🙂
I’ve been telling some of my friends about my new friends I’ve “met” on this blog and they really don’t get it. I’ve never talked in chat rooms or any blogs before, but this one just seems so safe. I’ve met some really neat Christian ladies and am thankful that you and Amanda got it together.
I just can’t wait until Aug. to meet some face to face.
I’ve been thinking about you and praying for you while you’ve been at Melissa’s apartment. I know you’ll miss her. Georgia will be a great place to visit!
Have a great weekend.
Love,
Valerie
Can you just imagine the difference if it had been two women who sat down at your table? I’ve got to admit that Valentine’s Day was so funny at my local Kroger. My husband and I took separate buggies and headed on a scavenger hunt down the aisles…we were having a picnic for our Valentine’s dinner. I finished first and was sitting in the car while he secretly bought a few things for the picnic, too. It was late afternoon and the men were so funny to watch as they headed in for last minute gifts. Bouquets of flowers, teddy bears, cards. Men are the most fun to watch trying to hold a bouquet of flowers!! It’s like they are poison…or maybe they are invisible. I had fun and I’m glad I married a real man that feels funny doing silly things but he loves me and he does them for me to please me. I’m glad I’m a woman and I’m thankful for my man.
You don’t think they were on a blind date, do you?
You know I sometimes actually feel sorry for guys. They just don’t know how to have a meaningful relationship with other guys. (Sometimes they don’t do so good with us girls either, but that’s another blog….) I feel bad that my husband doesn’t want to read all about Melissa’s wedding and get all teary-eyed like me. He just doesn’t know what he’s missing!
I think you should have helped the guys out with their conversation. Maybe they were there trying to connect to their “feminine side” and really wanted to have a meaningful conversation with other, they just didn’t know how. Poor things. I am sooooo glad I’m a woman.
I just love you to pieces!!!
Melana in Wyoming
As my husband says, I could talk to a fence post, get it talk back and find out how it truly felt to be a post, on a fence…
Amen to being a woman. Because right now we have a major fashion decision to make. Easter. Through out my life, I have bought a new Easter outfit. The last couple of years my Easter outfit has had to remain in the closet to make its maiden voyage because it has been so blasted cold.
I live in the DFW area which means, that the weather can change on a dime. Last year I wore boots because it was so cold.
I am thinking this year with Easter being early, I am going to save money and wait until afterwards and then buy a new spring rig. Hopefully, I can buy something on sale.
I wonder what those two men would have thought about that subject?? 🙂
Oh men, they have many gifts but not the gift of gab. Nor do they know how to enjoy coffee. Yup, they were posers! They think they got away with it but now we all know! We siestas gotta stick together.
Oh you blessed me with this post! I just giggled. Can I give a shout out to girlfriends, too! There’s nothing like them. I have a monthly girls dinner & several years ago, my father, near death, forced me out of his hospital room to go be with my girls. 10 minutes after I arrived at the dinner, one of my childhood friends arrived with a list – unbeknownst to me, the whole gaggle of them had gotten together to figure out who would take care of my pets at my apartment and leave me food so that I could go straight from work to the hospital every day without worry. What a blessing! And guys, no matter how wonderful they are, just don’t think of that stuff! Dad, praise God, came through and my crisis ended. But now, that same group of girlfriends has a sista in crisis – doctors found a tumor in her 33 year old brain last week. Once again, the girlfriends have rallied – sitting with her, sharing Scripture with her & each other, praying over her and just caring for her. Thank God for girlfriends!
me tooo! i would not wnt to be a man for nothin’. i love them as a gender & love my husband, but would not want the responsibilies. I love to talk, and work with women, and the room is never silent all day! have not been blogging in a while because of internet problems, but i do read every day! it kills me that i cant respond.(at work now ) love you all dedra@dfw
hysterical!
So, what do you think brought them together? Did their wives (who are BFF’s) tell them they had to go out with each and “hang out?” 🙂
Oh me too! As a history buff, I’ve often lamented the way our gender has been under-valued in different societies, but never once did I say, “If I lived in that era, I’d want to be a man.” Even in the worst environments for women, I’d still be glad to be a girlfriend to my other girlfriends. There’s just something so precious about talking yourself exhausted with friends! Alas, the poor guys at the next table are missing out on so much…
Too funny! I always said my mom could get the wall to talk to her if she tried hard enough and no one else would talk with her. I think I may have inherited that trait, too. Walls can talk. 🙂
How can men be so awkward? To ask for a seat by you and not even talk. How boring is that? Me and my best friend talk about nothing all the time. There is always something to talk about. And you can bet if we had the nerve to sit down with a stranger (even though YOU wouldn’t be a stranger to us because we know all about your business-being a siesta and all), we would at least have the courtesy to make small talk until the person seemed annoyed or got up and left us there. The only conclusion is: their wives made them use all their words for the day before they left the house. And when their quota is met it’s over.
POSERS! That was hilarious.
I’d give just about anything for a quiet moment at a coffee house (3 small children – not a lot of hope for that) – even if it was awkward – which it wouldn’t be because when 2 women get together, there’s no such thing as awkward silence.
Can’t wait for San Antonio! I’m going all by myself. It’s my 1st trip alone. Ever. A little nervous, but really excited about some serious quiet time. Who knows, might meet a Siesta or 2 out there!
As always, love ya, Moore people.
Robyn
Oh Beth we love that you share with us the ordinary things of your day! That’s what friends do, share.
Oh Ms. Beth,
You totally crack me up! Just wish I could have been there as a fly on the wall. Sounds like this “duo” would have been a great example for my Gender Communication class.
Glad to be a Woman 2,
~Cheryl
St. Louis
I am really just astounded that you were able to refrain from helping! I wouldn’t have been able to stand it. Not to mention, my overactive imagination would have had them pegged for some crazy scandal or something so I would have *had* to pry.
I love being a woman too. 😉
Beth,
You are good news, so funny! One of my favorite things to do…coffee shop espy. Surprised you didn’t rescue, I think I would have. It has sure been fun to read the wedding posts. Thanks for sharing.
PS I have a great book reccommend, lots of teaching metaphors! Just registered for DS today, 2nd time can’t wait! What are the chances of meeting you?
Siesta-
Men simply don’t “do life” like us women. Sometimes I wish they could truly experience as we do. Sharing the joys, heartaches, struggles, frustrations, families, children, work etc. is at the heart of who we are as women. No straining, searching for words or painstakingly quiet moments. It matters not whether we are life long friends or Siesta’s in Christ the bond is there.
I had to share my experience this morning during an extended quiet time with the Lord. I fell head over heels madly in love with Jesus afresh. The Word literally lept off the pages of my bible and into my heart. That Word being alive and active. God spoke directly to my heart and for sometime on many things I might add. I wish I could say it happens all the time but it doesn’t. His Living Word became the healing balm, word of wisdom, confirmation, 2-way communication & comfort that I desparately needed this day.
It amazes me that the God inspired Word penned by men thousands of years ago was given for such a time as this and taylored just for me. The letters of Paul & John spoke so tenderly, so personal, so on spot to what I am going through. How my Creator cares about the very details of my life humbles me beyond what words can express.
I read “The Prisoner in the 3rd Cell” Very Inspirational. Definitely a keeper to read again and again.
I too love being a girl.
Here’s to girl power. Whoohoo
Mady
ps…I had to retype this because somehow I lost it when I tried to publish.
thank you for being my women’s fellowship group this year. i’m working full time and can’t get to a ladies Bible study in the evenings yet. i am lonely and hungry for girl stuff…and i feel embraced by your entries.
Oh to have been there! That is truly hilarious! I love being a woman too! I would love to know that story! Why where they even there??
I am sure there have been a few men who have overheard my girlfriends and me and thought that they were glad they were a man!!
Love it!
Hope things are going great for you and your family! Tell Melissa that she will love Atlanta (except for the traffic).
I am a Texan living in Atlanta now for about 21 years. Its not Texas but its a nice place to live!
Debbie
That is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read!!! Maybe they were waiting for their wives or girlfriends to finish shopping 😉
Love it – just love it! Imposters indeed . . .
Me too! I love being a woman – wouldn’t trade it for the world!!!!
How funny that must have been!!!! And just to let you know how your Bible studies touch me….I was doing my Psalms of Ascent workbook this morning and felt God telling me to go visit an acquaintence (a lady I play tennis with occasionally) who I had heard was in the hospital….I often think of all these things I should do and that’s as far as I get…just thinking …. well, today I got up and went to see her in the hospital…and would you believe…when I got to her room with card and flowers in hand, she was ASLEEP. so I left the card and flowers and am hoping she will be blessed by me coming by, even though she didn’t even see me! Oh, by the way…if you want to read a good book try Blessed Child by Ted Dekker and Bill Bright….it’s thought provoking…
Till next time I ready y’all’s blog…Claudia
Bwahahahaha! That is hysterical! I love that all of my siestas think so too 🙂 I also love that I have a link to your blog off of mine like we have been the best of friends since I cracked the spine of my Jesus the One and Only book several years ago. Isn’t God good to us?
Oh, how awkward. I admire you though. I think I would have had to step in and smooth over the situation. Because I just can’t stand to see that kind of thing! (There’s not a girl I know who couldn’t think of something to say!) Of course, they might not appreciate my efforts. Then we could have all three sat there awkwardly. 😀
All I can say is Thank God He made me a woman! Sometimes things like that that men do are cute and laughable. Other times I’m left scratching my head. 😉 I think that would have been one of my laughing times. I am so happy God made me to relate to others effiecently (or at least I hope!).
Let us know if you get any word from Melissa about how the honeymoon’s going (or went because I don’t know when they were returning)!
I’m with you I love being a women. Joy,comforted, challenged,understanding on and on go the gifts my female friends add to my life. The youngest is my 10 day old grand daughter the oldest…. some sweet ladies in their 80s. thank you God for making me a women!