the Pool

So I've spent the last several days in varying states of inebriation as I adjust to life in the good ol' "Forest City" of London, Ontario. Not much changes in this town, really. My friends are still as entertaining as always and my parents continue to worry themselves sick about whether I'm ever going to find a path in life. Ah well. I'm in no real hurry yet. That seems to be a commonality amongst my friends. None of us are in any hurry. That led to discussion about the Pool.

So what's the Pool, you ask? Quite simply it's our collective guess as to which of the remaining 4 friends will take the plunge and get married next. There are 4 of our core group of friends who, for one reason or another, are single. And truth be told, no one who participated in the discussion could come up with a compelling argument for any one candidate. It sort of reminded me of the current electoral debates: each of us has some fatal flaw that makes people hesitant to choose us. The discussion really revolved around 3 of the candidates, so I'll set aside my friend John for the moment. That's not to say he isn't a relevant figure in all of this, but really, he's gravitated away from the group over the past decade.

So here are the principle combatants:

OJ


Age: 32
City of Residence: London, Ontario
Occupation: withheld (though one that makes ladies swoon)
Income: pretty darn comfortable
Longest relationship: 4 years, give or take
In brief: OJ's fatal flaw is his desire to be at the center of everything. He's a great guy, and certainly one of the most loyal anyone could hope to find, but he's got a very boistertous personality and that can turn some people off. He has no shortage of confidence, which I've heard is an attractive quality, but his current fixation/dedication to his career can lead to too many semi-interesting stories, wherein he plays the heroic lead. While these can be interesting (and usually quite humourous), he has the tendancy to absolutely dominate conversations, which can be a bit tough for people to handle.

Longterm Prediction: OJ is, at least in my opinion, certainly the frontrunner. He has a good job, has a good heart, is at his physical peak and has the confidence to meet anyone at any time. If he can just tone down the "war stories" then he's got a good shot at finding someone.

Kevin



Age: 31
City of Residence: London, Ontario
Occupation: daytrader in training
Income: variable, as it's commision-based
Longest Relationship: 3-4 years
In Brief: Kev is motivated by style, status and trends. He spends a good deal of time at the gym and at least once per year goes through a rigourous training regimen, reminiscent of the routines some bodybuilders go through to prepare for a competition. As a result, he's very conscious of appearance. Some call it superficial. However he believes that if he's willing to put in the time and effort to look good for his significant other, then she should be willing to put in the same level of dedication to look good for him. Valid point. The main problem with this is that there aren't many people outside of Hollywood or the Fitness Industry that could possibly meet his standards. That being said, he's got plenty of good qualities, as well. He spent alot of time in high school as a peer counsellor and continues to be a good listener and sounding board for whoever needs someone to talk to. He approaches every new opportunity with an open mind and genuine enthusiasm. He's also very easy to talk to and fun to be around.

Longterm prediction: Let's be honest here. He's got the physique, has the style, usually goes to the "in" spots and always has the newest and coolest toys. But if he doesn't loosen up his standards, he'll be the last man standing. I have no doubt he could have found someone long ago, but there really aren't many girls who'll be able to withstand his scrutinty. I think he's in the wrong city. He should be in LA where the bubbleheads run free.

And finally... me!


Age: 31
City of Residence: Montreal, Quebec
Occupation: recently hired Assistant Account Manager for a women's garment company
Income: environ $30,000
Longest Relationship: hmmm... let's go with about 3 weeks.
In Brief: Okay, since I'm writing this about myself, I'll try and be as balanced and unbiased as I possibly can. Yes, I recognize it's impossible to do so considering I'm the subject, but I'm arrogant enough to believe I'm sufficiently self-aware to pull it off. So how do I sum myself up? I'm a series of contradictions. I'm intelligent, but prone to doing stupid things (especially where women are involved). I set goals for myself, then find ways to shoot myself in the foot before reaching them (one of my friends has told me this is "self-handicapping"). I'd like to find someone to settle down with, but also enjoy the flings I've had. I will say, though, that I am intensely loyal to my friends. I'm honest to a fault and am always willing to take responsibility for my successes and failures. I'm also too shy and awkward when meeting people for the first time. So yeah. That's me.

Longterm prediction: To be honest, I'm a bit nervous about this whole thing. I think things will come around once I get my life in Montreal in order. So we'll have to see. I would like to think I'll find someone before I turn 40, but time will tell, right?

Any comments and/or suggestions are welcome!