Small City, Part II

Of course you understand that other than the small matter of wanting to help elect my candidate for President.....I wouldn't mind getting a spot or two of dating action from all this political involvement.

(I mean, let's be honest. It's great to volunteer and all. For anything service-oriented. But a single lady isn't a single lady if she doesn't admit that a wee smidgen of her interest is to meet a generous, selfless, looking-good-in-his-jeans-on-the-weekend bachelor. Hey, check this out!)

So far in my Southie for Obama phase, I have met several married men and several more gay men in their 40s. Which, as an upshot, takes any potential sexual tension out of canvassing and allows us to focus on the issues....

Saturday's trip to New Hampshire brought an additional surprise, however. You heard me mention that while at volunteer headquarters, I was randomly paired with Tom from Dorchester for street-combing purposes. Mid-40s, gay, about 6'4" with a face like a young Frank Langella...super-friendly and passionate about the task. We got along easily. We also made an effective pair: he had the nerve to knock on the doors, I had the secretarial skills to track the data and the memory to remember all the questions.

Tom gave me a ride back to Boston, during which he opined vociferously on all things election related. So it wasn't until 2 minutes before he dropped me off that I had the chance to mention (why? who knows?) that for several years, several years earlier, I had waited tables at Legal Sea Foods in Park Square. Tom gasped with recognition.

"No way! Did you know a guy named F__?

I did know a guy named F___. In fact, we had been friends for some time. I lent F____ a pile of my favorite books when he was suffering from extended illness. I went to watch him onstage as a professional actor. I had been to an Academy Awards-watching party at F___'s home back in 2002....the one he shared with Tom from Dorchester....as his then-boyfriend of five years.

F____'s ex-boyfriend as my random canvassing buddy. Go figure.

I'd say that coincidence, at least temporarily, makes up for the lack of single, straight men spending their weekends on the road for Obama.....