Old Fashioned Hopes-Modern Day Dreams

Yesterday, an older couple sat down next to each other on a comfy bench. They were side by side. The gentleman ordered for his wife first, and then for himself.  It happened that both of the drinks they ordered were only offered inside the restaurant at the main bar, not outside on the patio.  They were my last guests of the night, and were so sweet to me that I couldn’t help but want to curl up on the couch with them, so I made an exception.

I presented his wife first with her glass of Cabernet and then to her husband what he had ordered: a rye whiskey Old Fashioned.  

Everyone else on the patio sipped their cocktails from plastic cups with big red straws. The rules outside are pretty strict about not serving glassware on the patio.  But for these two people, I decided to bend the rules a little. Why not? They were the kind of people who probably wouldn’t have noticed or made a big deal if I had served their special drinks in the standard outdoor ware, and for that, I wanted to treat them with even more care. 

The man asked my name right away, and for the remainder of the evening, he would address me by it and thank me by it.  It occurred to me that he was like his drink, old fashioned.

They asked me about my story. Where I was from, why I was living here, working here etc. One detail of my life soon bled into a short synopsis of what had been the past six or seven years, since I graduated from college. 

The woman, who had been elegantly sipping her wine, suddenly perked up when I said that I was hoping to move to New York City come fall. “Well that’s where I am from originally,” she said.  Upon hearing her story, I was surprised to learn that she had been divorced after 29 years of marriage and that the gentleman she was with was her second husband.  They had a modern day love story. She offered me some advice.  “Write down ten things you want in a husband, really think about it, then go live your life. When you meet the one, you’ll know it because he will check off everything on your list.”

So thanks to an old fashioned man and his wife for sharing their modern day love story with me. Here is my list:

1. Humor
2. Integrity
3. Love of Family
4. Good Work Ethic
5. Intelligence
6. Loyal and Trustworthy (Who also trusts me and gives me freedom)
7. Good Lover (let’s be honest)
8. Sobriety/Not an Addict (No drugs. Enjoys some Alcohol, but not to excess.)
9. Spiritual Leader (Not dogmatic or Close minded)
10. Old Fashioned Values (Generosity and strong sense of duty to family)

Only fitting:

Old Fashioned

1 ½ oz Rye Whiskey

Dash of Bitters

Dash of sugar

Slice of Orange

One cherry

Muddle and build on the Rocks.