I read the article because I could empathize with Dave. The first couple of paragraphs were rather bewildering in their judgemental- sounding perspective, but I wrote it off as the writer's attempt to get people to question why Dave would join the MeetinDC group. She was trying to set the stage, but coming close to alienating the very people that such an article is supposed to attract.
The other thing about the article that sort of amused me - the reporter conveyed this sense of awe and wonder that such groups exist and that people would be motivated to join them. That's weird, wild stuff! Whatever, dude. I myself signed up for a similar group here in Richmond last month. I haven't gone to any of their events because most of them are scheduled for days or evenings when I have my daughter. Le sigh. --- In [email protected], "Ray Bradley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > from Friday's Weekend section... > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- > dyn/content/article/2007/06/14/AR2007061400319.html > > This is the lede. I am friends with the subject, so I am biased. If > you read these first few paragraphs, would you be inclined to read > the rest? > > What would your opinion of Dave be? > > -------------------------------------------- > > Dave Connolly needed friends. > > Which is a tricky predicament. Tricky and kind of banal. And -- let's > be honest -- a little sad. > > By the time you're out there in the world, haven't there been enough > opportunities -- in the sandbox and eighth-grade math class and the > varsity tennis team and between dorm rooms and cubicle clusters -- to > pick up a few good friends? > > Obviously. > > Unless, you know, there weren't. Or there were. There were all those > opportunities, and buddies were met and made and then, somehow, lost. > Binding ties came unbound. > > Maybe there was a marriage. A baby. A transfer, a taxing project, an > illness, a changing lifestyle, diverging hobbies, a new neighborhood, > a gradual maturing, a big dramatic fight over a guy you were both > interested in. Maybe your new medical sales job has you sleeping in > Reston and creeping along Interstate 66, shaking hands with lots of > doctors and nurses and not really getting to know anyone. > > Maybe you're Dave Connolly, 29, athletic and outgoing and fun and > successful, and everything was great and your social calendar was > booming until one day it just wasn't. > > Banal. A little sad. And common enough for this town to support a > whole host of organizations designed to help people reach out and > meet someone. Probably lots of someones. Probably in similar > predicaments. > > ------------------------------------------------ > > Do these photos change or affirm your image of Dave? > > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/BillyGoatTrail050606/photo#5061 6 > 66529504285106 > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/BillyGoatTrail050606/photo#5061 6 > 67349843038706 > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/WhiteoakCanyonTrail/photo#50698 1 > 9857564963250 > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/WhiteoakCanyonTrail/photo#50698 2 > 3362258276962 > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/WhiteoakCanyonTrail/photo#50698 2 > 4994345849554 > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/WhiteoakCanyonTrail/photo#50698 2 > 5174734476002 > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/WhiteoakCanyonTrail/photo#5 > 069829242068505634 >
