How Was Your Night?

This was mine:


INT. Blue Bricks - Friday night

Plenty of English colleagues and other assorted friends mingle around gathered tables. Among them are myself, BRONSON, BRYAN G., ADRIAN (who resembles a sexy (an even sexier?) Willem Dafoe), and NATALIE.

Bryan whispers across the table to Bronson, asking for confirmation that Natalie's name is, in fact, Natalie. Bronson nods.

BRYAN
(to Natalie)
You... are so beautiful.

Natalie could only have beamed and giggled more if she were radioactive, assuming radioactive stuffs giggle at all. Bryan extends the compliment well over an entire minute, using terms like "poise," "projection," and possibly other P-words, but certainly other compliments--all deserving. At one point I aid and interject.

MASON
That's because she's a poet!

Now, poets in our program have received a lot of ribbing this semester due to a few less-jestful comments made by T.D.. I've felt a terrible sympathy and injustice--even guilt by association due to my great respect of the man--for our lovely poets because of these comments. Not only was I trying to soothe old wounds, I wanted to jump on the compliment bandwagon because Natalie is good peeps; she's been hanging out a lot lately--especially considering the great distance she travels from New Ulm to be with us--and I want it to continue. My compliment, however, was entirely lost on her for all she heard and saw after being called beautiful from a more-or-less complete stranger was Bryan and only Bryan.

I'll be the first to admit I enjoy competition for attention.

MASON
When was the last time you
called me beautiful, Bryan?

BRYAN
Jared, if you do this...
(tucks chin into neck)
it looks like you have no chin.

I've been aware of the Mason mini-double chin for years, made evident by #4, Timmon Mason. Of course #2, Justin, being the largest of the four Mason boys, got the no-chinness worst of all. But, as skinny and lankterminal as Timmon is, the Mason's gradual ease of chin into neck is present. I'm even skinnier than T-square and yet, if forced, I can make my chin disappear. I hadn't thought it was so obvious 'til Bryan decided to be so vocal about his observations; first with Natalie and now with me.

But I can take a hit and go with it.

MASON
Are you saying I look like
Beaker from The Muppets?
(does the chin thing)
Me-me-me-me!

Laughs around, even from those who don't get it. So everyone's ego is saved, especially Natalie's. She hasn't stopped blushing, dimpling, tee-hee-heeing, ha-ha-haing.


INT. Blue Bricks - later

Bryan and Adrian leave us early, but not after Bryan reminds Natalie of his compliment and plants a peck on her cheek. Natalie is smitten. Tee-hee-hee. Ha-ha-ha.


INT. Blue Bricks - later still

Natalie's moved onto water and recuperation, yet her dimples and blushing from Bryan have not moved on.

NATALIE
(to Mason)
This has been a good night: I've been called
beautiful and I got a kiss on the cheek.

MASON
(saving face, continuing The Natalie Show)
Bryan gets the glory just 'cuz he says
what everyone else is thinking.

NATALIE
Aww, that's nice, Jared.
You don't look like a Muppet.

So, here's what this night has established:
Natalie is beautiful.
Jared does not look like a muppet.

What have we learned from all this? Compliments are awesome. We already kinda new that though, didn't we? The true lesson, and this is why Bryan is a valued friend, is that friends know why friends are each others' friends--rather, we constantly compliment each other under our breaths yet seldom do we voice these compliments. For a few years I've felt it necessary to compliment my friends more. I've felt everyone needs to compliment their friends more, to tell friends why they are friends. But I've been unsure how people would take it: too open, too sentimental, too cry-for-help, too whatever. The true lesson, thank you Bryan and Natalie, is to not bottle up compliments. Let 'em loose. Loosey goosey. Forget what people might think. Let 'em beam. In most cases, like tonight, they'll probably be too busy blushing to be paranoid of why they were complimented. In the immortal, guttural words of Danecek: Share your thoughts and feelings.

Also, I learned that unless Natalie can come up with a better compliment than me not looking like a Muppet--"Certainly not Animal," she assured me, "even though he too is a drummer."--perhaps she had better stay in New Ulm.

Just kidding! Tee-hee-hee! Ha-ha-ha!