picket fences

See, the thing about boundaries is this: if you have too many of them, they are actually walls. But if you use them wisely, they can protect you. The thing about other people's boundaries is - if you don't respect them, you totally suck. Boundaries should be somewhere between as menacing as a tall barbed wire fence and as wussy as a short pile of rocks. something like a picket fence.

Jason* and I met on the roof at Marvin's, out with some friends from work. It was a beautiful summer night, and we were ripped by the time he and his friends showed up. I believe he twirled me around a few times, and I thought his Ghanaian accent was dreamy. We traded phone numbers, and set up a time to meet... we also exchanged texts the next day (Saturday). He asked me out to dinner on Sunday, so we went to Cafe St. Ex. I wasn't sure I'd recognize him, but the first hot African who walked in the door, I knew it was him. I got a burger, he got a salad. We had some fun conversation, I felt totally at ease. Jason walked me home, and was lingering outside my house when he looked up and saw my roommate peeking out the window!! Thanks a lot, Val.

Second date, Jason took me to a Cava, a greek restaurant on Capitol Hill, lots of seafood tapas... I think he had asked me if I liked seafood, which I do in small doses. His car was acting up, and every time either of us opened the door the alarm went off. Hilarious.

Later that week I ran into Jason at Marvin's again (eeek!), ditched my friends, and hung out with Jason. Later that week, he took me to Kellari - another seafood place... that had a giant ice bowl full of fish with the heads still on. Jason insisted on walking over to the ice bowl and picking a fish out personally. A little awkward.

The other thing about boundaries, is that if I put them out there - explain them clearly multiple times... I expect that they'll be honored or respected or at least paid some form of attention to. Jason wasn't interested in that, so we parted ways.