The benefit concert...

Last night I went to a benefit concert for a deceased friend. Whenever I go to this type of thing I can usually rest assured knowing that I will run into people I know. Last night was no different.

I arrived with my friend (AFCIndia) and immediately I started chatting up the people that I knew. I'm not great at cold approach, but I figured the best way to get there is to get REALLY good at warm approach. I read somewhere that if you spend the first 20 minutes in set, you'll be locked in for the night. This is the truth. India kept wanting to grab a bite to eat, but I kept putting it off to talk to more people.

I went to ask an UG waitress if they were still serving food. She was rude. When the band started AFCIndia and I sat down to eat. Another friend of mine arrived then and I invited him to eat with us. Just then a cute, short, hispanic waitress came up to our table...

PS: Hey, are you the nice waitress?
HBWaitress: No, I'm the rude one.
PS: Oh, so I guess that must be standard training around here. "Don't be nice to the customers."
HBWaitress: No, It's just the customers don't treat us right... why, who was mean to you?

I explain to her how the other waitress was rude, when I simply wanted to know 1) If smoking was allowed on the patio and 2) If they were still serving food.

PS: ...but you better be nice; I'm the exception, I know how to treat people the right way!
HB: [laughs] drinks?

So we eat, and I'm constantly flirting with her... a little push pull I guess you could say. When she comes back one time I tell her to sit down with us. I ask her what she would like to drink. It was very playful. I introduce her to my two friends, but not myself... and in doing that find her name.

My buddy pays the bill, because where he's from you take care of EVERYONE. Haha. We get up and start watching the band. I'm still chatting up the 15-20 people I know there, at random intervals, and just then I see my fellow PUA's.

I hadn't seen them in about a week and a half, and one of them wasn't supposed to be showing up. He told me... "Dude, You know I went to school with all of these people... and You, other PUA, and Friend 1 are the ONLY people I feel comfortable around? Fuck everyone else man..."

Just then I realized what I had been doing. I was gaming everyone... It was awesome. They thought I was there to be social with them, but I wasn't. I was there to 1) Celebrate the life of a great person who passed, and 2) Practice my social skills in a semi-controlled setting. Granted, I did truly enjoy chatting with these people from my past, and I really did make some connections. But, that wasn't the intent.

I guess going in for your motive will help you out as long as you let reality happen as well.

As we were closing out, I asked HBWaitress what she did outside of work...

HBWaitress: Nothing, just hang out with friends.
PS: So, do you enjoy live music?
HBWaitress: Yes, I love all kinds of music.
PS: Cool, I go to shows very often...
--- break---
PS: Do you party a lot?
HBWaitress: Nope.
PS: I do, but I don't drink.
HBWaitress: Bullshit! You're lying...
PS: Ask India!
HBWaitress(to India): Does he drink?
AFCIndia: No, he is a very good guy. No drinking, No smoking.
HBWaitress(to me): Oh, well I drink a lot. This would never work out.
PS: Huh? I have plenty of friends that drink... Do you not see that India is double fisting Dos Equis?

Anyway, after that I let it die a bit. It's hard to stay motivated when you know you're not going to get in that for a month or so. Whatever, it was good practice, and my AFC friends were impressed. Hopefully that means I'm acting far from an AFC.

-Public Service