All Over Again

I had the fortune or misfortune to sit within range of a luncheon meeting probably arranged by a dating service, in Arlington Center today.

The late 30s something woman was there alone, shortly joined by a late 40s man apologizing for being late.

It was interesting to see how these meetings proceed. What are the formalities? What information is passed first? Professional credentials, it seems are early in the order of business. I learned that she was working on a MS in Nursing, Pediatrics, at MGH. He was working teaching music to children, ostensibly, but claimed that the parents needed the most work. Music therapy, it turned out. He said he hadn’t had a job that paid benefits for two years. He was also getting a Ph. D. from an obscure mail order College in Florida. Only the Thesis left to be accepted.

Next came places they had lived, he on the south shore of Massachusetts, she in New York State. Some where in there she mentioned a sister who was having twins. “Bait”, I thought. He didn’t pick up on it but shifted to currant living arrangements. Turns out he had lived in cooperative housing for a long time. That was when my ears seriously perked up. His first house ruptured after two of the residents decided to get pregnant, with out consulting the others. After the initial feelings of being ignored were processed some of the original members decided they were willing to live with a child and some not. He went with the child accepting group and he and another resident bought a house in Dorchester. The mother-to-be didn’t want to be on the Deed because she was a tax resistor and was afraid the IRS would go after the house. He alluded to ways she manages to hide her money. Actually they have done it again. They are having a second child, again, with out consulting the other residents. He is also a tax resister and was fined $500.00 last year for filing a “frivolous” tax return, even though he had sent a letter with the return explaining his stand.

I had a short image of the IRS bureaucrat opening the return with the letter prominently fixed to the form.

From there he launched into the currant political scene in Massachusetts. He is Green but must re-register as a Democrat so that he can have some impact in the primary. He has “issues” with Duval Patrick and thinks Riley isn’t “too bad”, which surprised me.

I could have been listening to the conversation in the early 70’s. I didn’t know these folks were still around. Oppositional Personality Disorder, I thought. I hope he is independently wealthy. Does he plan to receive Social Security? Medicare?

I paid my bill and left