Asian persuasion

Last night, after dining with Dyson and GarGar, we met up with Mattress, Beetle and Blanca for some post-dinner, Wednesday night revelry. I happened upon a fellow to whom Gerbil introduced me years ago - a swarthy man of Asian descent who'd never said more than a passing "hello" to me.

For whatever reason, the floodgates opened last night and he spent hours (at least it felt that way) baring his soul to me. He discussed the nature of his and his partner's relationship (what they sought when trolling the internets for fun). He revealed insecurities about being an Asian in the western hemisphere. He lamented the death of San Francisco's nightclub scene. He articulated his love of art and beauty.

Throughout the conversation, I could tell that my friends wondered whether or not they should "save" me. I was willing to oblige, mainly because he kept saying things like, "Thank you for not walking away from me like I'm a crazy person. I feel like you really understand what I'm talking about."

Finally, when he decided to return home, he said, "I've told you things that I've never told anyone else, not even my partner. I've felt so bottled up for so long and I'm not sure why I told you all this, but I think it's because you're another Asian man and for whatever reason, God has brought us here together tonight."