After Dinner Entertainment

There comes a certain point in a man's life at which the way he spends his evenings shifts dramatically.  In my twenties my nights would be spent in the local bar, shooting pool and drinking beers with friends who had no obligations more pressing than beating the hangover enough to work a production line.  Life was simple, and we lived from paycheck to paycheck without a care in the world (provided the pay stretched until Friday).

Today, though, things are different.  My social life rarely leads me back to the old bar with its bewitching aromas of stale beer and cheap perfume.  Instead I find myself planning my downtime weeks and months in advance.  My evenings are controlled by RSVPs, long weeks of phone calls and, for some reason, everything must go through my wife before I hear about it.

It's not that I miss the old days of carefree drinking, you understand.  Well, I do, but my life now is so much better than it used to be that I don't wish to return to it.  My evening entertainment right now is just different.  No better, no worse.

Occasionally lots of fun, though.  We tend to go to a lot of awards ceremonies, charity events and dinners in honour of this and that.  I'm a Rotarian and my wife works for a high-profile law firm, so there's no shortage of events to attend.  Every so often we'll find the organisers have arranged fantastic after dinner entertainment, and I think you'd be surprised as to how damned good it can be.  Back in my bar days I'd never dream that I'd enjoy an evening in a ballroom watching a ventriloquist, but today I find myself eagerly awaiting the announcement of who will provide the corporate entertainment at any upcoming event.

Hell, maybe I'm getting old.  As a young man I was satisfied with a cold beer and a pool table.  Today, in my early forties, I want a puppet show and a magician, damn it!

I'll still take a beer, though.