"Hey, there's Don.... let's go say Hi!".....
No, I don't know anyone named Don in Omaha, but a few nights ago Neal and I were sitting in a restaurant and again, I am feeling what's missing for me here. We were eating at a very cute cafe called La Bouvette in the Old Market in downtown Omaha. The Old Market is similar to Faneuil Hall, but smaller. To its defence, it is one of the few places in Omaha that I have found with charming character... very cool. But, I digress.....
While we were sitting at the table, there were a bunch of people hanging out at the bar together. Three came in, two more left, another woman came over to the bar with her date and introduced him to her "friends," etc... It was very reminiscent of my single life at the Warren Tavern in Charlestown. We had a large "group" and everyone gathered at the end of the day to have a relaxing drink, tell war stories, and decompress with friends. It was a warm night in November, so the windows and doors were open, and one guy at the bar saw someone walking down the street and said, "Hey, there's Don.... let's go say hi" and off he and another friend went to chase Don down the street to chat. Now that is a community and that's what I miss. Just running into people on the street, or at the grocery store or the dry cleaners.
While there's no way that I could, or would want to join a "bar community" at this point in my life with small children, seeing that social circle helps me understand why Omaha doesn't work for me, in this stage of life. Maybe if I had moved here as a single person, and could have experienced that bohemian artsy scene and then did the family-suburb thing, I would be happier and felt more connected to a broader community. Maybe if I moved here when my kids were older and in school all day, I could have had time to pursue my own interests, like golf, or consulting or a PhD. Maybe if I were born here, then I would hang out with my friends from kindergarten in my 5000 square foot home and watch football, because, as far as I can tell, it's easier to get an invitation a White House State Dinner than invited into that established world! in any case, I thing that after a year, I know that it's just not right for me.
No, I don't know anyone named Don in Omaha, but a few nights ago Neal and I were sitting in a restaurant and again, I am feeling what's missing for me here. We were eating at a very cute cafe called La Bouvette in the Old Market in downtown Omaha. The Old Market is similar to Faneuil Hall, but smaller. To its defence, it is one of the few places in Omaha that I have found with charming character... very cool. But, I digress.....
While we were sitting at the table, there were a bunch of people hanging out at the bar together. Three came in, two more left, another woman came over to the bar with her date and introduced him to her "friends," etc... It was very reminiscent of my single life at the Warren Tavern in Charlestown. We had a large "group" and everyone gathered at the end of the day to have a relaxing drink, tell war stories, and decompress with friends. It was a warm night in November, so the windows and doors were open, and one guy at the bar saw someone walking down the street and said, "Hey, there's Don.... let's go say hi" and off he and another friend went to chase Don down the street to chat. Now that is a community and that's what I miss. Just running into people on the street, or at the grocery store or the dry cleaners.
While there's no way that I could, or would want to join a "bar community" at this point in my life with small children, seeing that social circle helps me understand why Omaha doesn't work for me, in this stage of life. Maybe if I had moved here as a single person, and could have experienced that bohemian artsy scene and then did the family-suburb thing, I would be happier and felt more connected to a broader community. Maybe if I moved here when my kids were older and in school all day, I could have had time to pursue my own interests, like golf, or consulting or a PhD. Maybe if I were born here, then I would hang out with my friends from kindergarten in my 5000 square foot home and watch football, because, as far as I can tell, it's easier to get an invitation a White House State Dinner than invited into that established world! in any case, I thing that after a year, I know that it's just not right for me.
posted by Betsy Paquelet Patrick at 11:44 AM
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