a gift for you

Delete. 

That’s what I typically do with an email with the subject line, a present for you or you’ve won arrives in my inbox. It’s usually someone with a Nigerian-sounding name telling me I’ve won $50 million dollars if I’d just send a wire transfer of $5,000.

But this time it’s from a real person I know.  A good friend in fact.  Jill.  A few weeks ago I get this:

last night i bought a one year subscription for 59E59th theater …

because you are always so generous with me with theater/movie tickets etc I would like to take you as my guest.

go to the web site and look at upcoming/current shows and dates and pick one or two that work for you and let's have a fun evening together.

yes? 

  

I am touched, and immediately respond. I research all 59E59 plays (they have many) and pick one. Playing with Grown Ups.  Tonight we go.

While we are waiting for the play to start, we see the actor Zeljko Ivanek:

I don’t recognize him but Jill does. She says something like, “I won’t invade your space but I just want to let you know that I’m a big fan.” You can tell he likes hearing the compliment, especially from a hip looking age-appropriate girl with green-painted toenails.

The play is one of those dramedies that starts of light but quickly enters some very dark territory.  We both enjoy it, though I find it hard to relate to its core story:  a 40-something married women who decides she really doesn’t want to be mother to her 9-week old colicky newborn daughter.

Jill and I meet at the theater 15 minutes before curtain, and stand in front of the subway entrance for 15 minutes after.  But as is always the case with Jill, those 30-minutes of conversation overflow with great stories, intimate admissions, and homework, as in:  when you get home, look up….

It helps prolong a fun and thought-provoking night.