Irish Confidence

Every March 17th I get to be anybody. It's better than Halloween because I always have the best costume. In past years it has been a blinking bow tie and green suspenders. This year it was a nice green vest and a bright orange hat. The clothes serve two purposes.

1. Attract attention. Even if it's dudes, you look like you're having more fun when there's a crowd around you and you're cheersing the hell out of the night. 
2. Create a "weakness" that I then overcompensate for.

 If you're wearing a bright orange hat, you are not the best looking guy in the bar, period. But, the hat can get you a 'hey, nice hat' and I've found that when I know I look ridiculous, I can carry that conversation on as long as I want to. It's weird, I could dress normally, but I'd be way less confident. Almost like the hat was just enough distraction that I felt safe.

So this happens every St. Patrick's Day - I become the guy I really ought to be 100% of the time. I'm funny, I stand up straight, I look at myself in the mirror and smile, I speak my mind, I listen and play off what she says. I am irresistible, or more so than on any other Wednesday. I stop being the wall flower, and I stop questioning my actions or what she's thinking. I move on easily if I get the sense that I'm not holding her attention and I find someone new. Things that I make to be a huge deal in my head most days are insignificant. Magically, I stop second guessing myself.

What I want to figure out is how to make every St. Patrick's Day. I could be a non-assassinated  version of JFK with that kind charisma. I know it is in me, I just have to stop being afraid.

And like past St. Patty's Days, this one worked out really well for me. I met a really cute girl who ended up buying me a really special beer originally made by some Belgian monks and we had a lot of fun. I also managed to wake up feeling tired, but ok, and work was pretty breezy. The weather in SF has been amazing as of this week to boot.