The other half (or Boy/girl about town)

I've recently and persistently been telling my Kvetch Committee, "I want to be be a boy/girl about town." Well, some background is required for this.

First, I have a kvetch committee. Don't you? If you don't, you need to get one. After all, one must share one's petty complaints with someone on a regular basis. But any one person would be overwhelmed. Hence form a committee.

Second, yes, I really would be happy being either a boy or girl about town, as these are often different but can overlap. A boy about town is nicely dressed (either casual or preppy - I'm fine with either) and not doing much (strolling through the park, sitting sipping white wine or an espresso, walking along the street with a folded newspaper or some other not too bulky accessory).

A girl about town comes in many varieties: with child or without (and within with-child the two variants: one's own or someone else's); young or not so young (and note here, un/fortunately age is not a factor in making you a boy about town - young and old seem to do it in the same way; for women it does seem to affect what how they go about it -- but don't worry in my books young doesn't stop at any particular age -- it's more a mater of attitude).

So getting back to the girls about town. The ones with their own babies have that look of dressed-down luxury, and as the day proceeds tend to have more and more packages piled up on their strollers. The ones with other people's babies look a little bit busier (after all, they are working). The younger girls about town are usually doing something: window shopping, sitting and reading, chatting with a friend. And I must confess, I haven't yet figured out what older girls about town are up to.

And working back to my complaint. Now that it's spring, I've been whining that I want to be a boy/girl about town. But the only occasions I can find are to run errands around town. Don't get me wrong - so lovely to walk across the park on the way to some work, or bicycle along the river. But it's that I want to be one of those boys/girls about town (see above), not someone out running errands.

So I was out today to get my suitcase repaired for an upcoming trip (for an upcoming trip!) I had to cab it over there, but decided to walk back across the Upper East Side and through the park. And there they were, that not so rare species of boy/girl about town, sipping their coffees, looking leisurely and fabulous, tall and lean.

One day, I said to myself, I too will be a boy/girl about town. That day, I hope is this today. An update next time!

bb