OFF KILTER

People, all types of people

For this week’s column I thought I’d write ab out the “general” types of people one comes into contact with during a lifetime. I always think of the famous Barbra Streisand song “People.” The opening lines are: “People, people who need people, are the luckiest people in the world.”

Makes one think. What is so great about “needing people”? In general, other people usually make demands on either your time or resources. I guess it depends upon one’s view of whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Speaking for myself, I have run into both types in my lifetime.

Let’s start with the “bad people” type. I was still in college and dating a particularly nice young woman. She was the friend of a fraternity brother who attended a nearby college. We had had, maybe, three or four dates and the friendship was blossoming.

I had an away swim meet. We returned to Troy, New York (where Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is), on Saturday evening – about 7 p.m.. I drove back to the fraternity house where I lived. Upon entering, a typical Saturday night party was in process.

What did I see upon entering our common room?

My former date attending the party with one of my fraternity brothers. I never spoke with that “brother” again. Nor the woman. There were two “bad things” happening at once. First, he asked her out –which he should not have done.

Second, she accepted, again which she should not have done. I asked my other fraternity brother whether the woman had said anything to him about being willing to date another brother. He said: “She told me she had a great time with you, but that as it was not serious, as yet, she felt free to date other members of the same fraternity.”