Awkwardness bites the dust

By Maryann Dakkak

Let's talk about you and me. Get everything out in the open, stare at our realities and just deal with them.

Awkwardness � it is a waste of time. And I have found a new way in which to deal with it. Let's just say for scenario's sake that me and "my boy's" ex-girlfriend feel less than comfortable with each other. Take that a step further, and now we're both ex-girlfriends of the same guy, and the awkwardness instead of fading, grows.

Now I could be like most people and ignore it. I could continue, or continue to pretend, not to care about it. I mean, come on, I've got my own friends and I don't necessarily need that person whom I'm awkward with to be my friend, right? Maybe.

But then the awkwardness remains, and awkwardness sucks.

So on the spur of the moment, I asked that girl out to dinner. Then I stressed the whole afternoon before the dinner because I had no idea what was going to come up and how much I want to tell her and on and on and on. And what if we did go to dinner and just sat there feeling awkward. But I bucked up and went to pick her up.

Well, the dinner ended up lasting about three hours with the waiters pressing us to leave. We talked about everything, much more than him, and found out that he had great taste in women. (He just couldn't keep them!) Afterwards I ended up taking her to my best friend's apartment, introduced her to all my friends and spent a whole night drinking, laughing and sharing. My friends were amazed that I brought her back with me and also realized how cool she is.

Now if I could end up getting along with those I feel awkward with that well, what's there to lose? Only awkwardness.

So from now on, I'm not wasting any time. As soon as I feel weird vibes coming from someone in any direction, I'm taking that person out to dinner. I believe that awkwardness comes from ignorance, and if I get to know that person and vice-versa, even if we don't become friends, the awkwardness will dissipate.

And yeah, it takes balls (or ovaries) to just ask that person out to dinner, but I guarantee it's worth it.

So me and my formerly awkward friend are going out again this week, because we've found that we have barrels of fun when we're together. But on another note, how're you doing? Maybe we should go out for dinner.