Short Stories

I like to tell stories, especially at dinner parties. Since childhood I have been mesmerized by men who could hold court in a group of their peers. These were the kind of men I wanted to grow up to be like.  Based on my observations at the time, the race goes to the man with the gift of gab: the raconteurs, the toast masters, the conversational hosts of a gathering.  My Dad was one of those guys, but even he would admit that he was not as good as Charles R. Meeker, Jr. Mr. Meeker was my first show business boss. I have written about him before. (Check here if interested)
Dinner and wine with Mr. Meeker was better entertainment than going to the theatre. In reality the way Mr. Meeker performed his gift of spoken word...was theatre. I still remember watching and listening to him in awe.

Mr. Meeker and my Dad are gone now, and I am old enough to be every bit the raconteur they were. I keep practicing and pretending that I am smart as they were.

Recently there was a defining moment in my quest to be the conversational host.  It was a small dinner party with friends, and wine and conversation. I think I said wine, right?  You really need wine and plenty of it.  I learned from Mr. Meeker that good wine is an essential part of the raconteur theatrical experience. 

At a lull in the evening's laughter, as we sipped more wine, a friend said to me, "I love it when you tell short stories."

Had it been a male friend who mentioned it,  I might have just said, "Thank you.." and that would be the end of it.  But since it was one of my social girl friends I said in my patronizing  yet flirty way, "Why do you like my short stories?" I was hoping to hear adjectives like, funny, witty, charming.~no..

Without hesitation she said,

"Because they're short." 

As you were, 

Jay
3/13/13 @ 3:13