Although I rarely read fiction anymore, one of my favorite books is, and has been, a piece of fiction that I first read somewhere around the 7th or 8th grade: Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes.  It is an excellent read.  It’s  tear jerker with profound lessons. I see that Amazon has:

A softcover student edition: Flowers for Algernon : Student Edition 

and a hardcover edition:New Windmills: Flowers for Algernon (New Windmills)

By extension, I liked the 1968 movie Charly (with Cliff Robertson in the role of Charly) except for a short bit of 1960’s psychedelic rambling that didn’t seem to fit in place.

Charly

There was also a TV version titled “Flowers For Algernon” with Matthew Modine (a seriously under-rated actor, in my opinion) that was from around 2000.  You might remember Modine from a few different movies, including: What The Deaf Man Heard, Birdy, and Jack and the Beanstalk – The Real Story.  That TV version is apparently not available for purchase, however. I thought that it was true to the book and was worth watching.

I think I’ll pick up the book and re-read it.  It has been many years since I’ve read it; but it has stuck with me.

One thing I don’t think I will ever understand is the concept that someone has to know a person before going on a date.  The common wisdom these days says that a person can’t ask someone to coffee, or lunch, or whatever…. unless you know them. Well….. my logic says I’m asking you to coffee because I **don’t** know you but want to know you.  I want to go on a date because I want to get to know you to see if you are someone with whom I would want a romantic relationship.  I want to go on a date to see if you want to get to know me. 

The typical conversation goes something like this:

Me: There’s a woman that works at the bank I’d like to ask out. 
Other Person: Well, get to know her a little and then ask her out.
Me: Uhm…. how do I get to know her without asking her to coffee or lunch?
O.P.: Well, you talk to her some.
Me: But, I thought that’s what the coffee was for?  I thought we go to coffee to get a chance to talk?
O.P.: Oh, no…. you can’t just ask someone out that you don’t know!
Me: But, how do I get to know her without getting to know her?

As you can see… it goes nowhere.  I have asked out a couple of women from places such as the bank or the store or the dentist’s office:women that I see regularly and would like to get to know more.  Because it is a work environment, the regular conversations with them can’t be much more than things like, “How are you today?” 

Anyway, I’ve had a couple of conversations with friends like this, too:

Me: I asked out the woman at the bank.  She said, “No.”
O.P: You didn’t!
Me: Yeah.  Why not?
O.P: Well, you can’t just ask someone out!
Me: Uhm…. why not?
O.P.: Because, you just can’t.  You have to get to know them first!
Me: But, how do I get to know them if I’m not allowed to get to know them?!?!

I now refer you back to example one. Sigh…..

Seriously…I don’t go to bars.  I don’t go to sporting events.  I don’t go to the gym. Even if I did, I’d have to make sure it was an “approved” place to meet someone.  It’s just too much.

I repeat…. Sigh…….