Parties are pools

I found the sketches for this comic in an old sketchbook and I’m embarrassed to say it’s all just as true this summer. I love my friends, I love plates of food, but I haven’t mastered the part of being an adult where just because you want to stop being somewhere doesn’t mean you can leave right then. Our dog is better at it than I am.

In high school, my friend John would just leave the second he wanted to - we’d all be at Perkins and he’d stand up, walk out to his car and drive away - sometimes he’d run. It was hilarious in high school but with adults I guess it’s rude. Boaz loves to linger and have one more chat, catch up with one more friend, meet one more person - they’re so interesting did you know they visited the pacific northwest last summer, he loves to get a tour of the garden - I hope our baby absorbs this ability to melt time at parties too. I guess if he doesn’t, we can sneak off together.

Are there social situations you want to get better at? Are you the last one to leave at parties, do you sneak off without saying goodbye? Do you have good excuses to leave, like a dog that needs to be let out? What’s the perfect amount for people to stay when you invite them over? If we have people over at our place I never ever want them to leave. It feels great if they stay at least three hours.

This week, when I’m blessedly not at parties, I’ve been watching Old Enough on Netflix, ostensibly to practice my Japanese but really just because it’s a nice way to cry. I don’t know why every episode makes me so emotional. The toddlers work so hard! We all love each other! It’s going to be ok! I’ve also been really into taylortown’s website, and of course every adoptable dog I walk at Humane Animal Rescue.

Thanks for simmering in this newsletter for this long, I’m sorry the snacks are terrible and I hope you’re able to find the exit as soon as you feel like you need it. I hope your week is full of friends and one nice new person.