Mistaken Identities
Posted on October 5, 2013 under Storytelling with no comments yet
Have you ever arrived at an event when you just know that you’re not in the right place? It could be as simple as going to a wedding in an unfamiliar city and arriving at the church, the wrong church, not recognizing a single soul. Or going to a conference at a major convention centre and viewing a power point presentation on the sex lives of snails, when you were expecting pre-retirement planning.
In a small university town, two friends were hosting an evening of story-telling in aid of a local charity. Ticket sales had been brisk and the demographic was skewed in favor of an older crowd. In the same campus building, just down the hall, was another production geared to a slightly different age group. The poster on the wall, not far from the notice advertising the charity event, blared out the words highlighted in fuchsia …
“Sex Toy Bingo”
An elderly couple approached the entrance to the building, running a little bit behind schedule. The man, slightly hearing-impaired and brandishing a cane, was assisted by his devoted life’s partner. While her mobility was excellent, her vision was in decline. To make matters worse, they had not purchased tickets in advance, much to the wife’s chagrin.
They stepped into the lobby of the building, a very busy and confusing place as the two events were being held simultaneously. To their left was the sparkling new auditorium where the readings were taking place. To their right, several paces away, was the room rented for sex toy bingo.
A flirtatious young couple, arm in arm, approached the building for an evening of amusement and titillation. They had decided that a few drinks prior to the experience were in order, just to get them in the mood. They had wisely purchased their tickets in advance, as these shows often sold out. They entered the lobby and were met by a smartly dressed young usher, a nice touch but seemingly unnecessary, considering the type of entertainment that they were expecting.
The older couple took a hard right and the young couple entered to their left, having been directed by the usher to the entrance for people already holding tickets.
The young couple found the video montage very entertaining as they took their seats. They didn’t spot the bingo apparatus or any other equipment for that matter as they stared at a stage with two stools and a podium.
The elderly couple tendered their money to a scantily clad woman holding a whip. “What do you think that strap is for, Joe?” Joe’s eyes wandered oh so briefly at the cleavage at eye level.
The lights dimmed in the auditorium as two men, hair thinning, approached the stage. Introductions ensued followed by the first reading, an amusing tale about a local restaurant.
Across the hall the bingo caller announced that the first prize of the night, for completion of a line in any direction, was the latest edition of “The Joy of Sex”. The old folks were slightly bewildered but decided not to make a scene. But when an array of colourful curiosities made its appearance, they realized that they were in the wrong place.
Meanwhile, the young twosome had fallen fast asleep after listening to two of the most boring speakers they had ever heard. They were politely asked to leave and stumbled up the stairs into the lobby.
They saw a pair of seniors coming down the corridor. They looked an awful lot like her grandparents.
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