Currently Chasing: The Grand Gesture

Gestures. Some are grand. Some are off hand. And some I just plain can’t stand.
I figure, if you are going to make a gesture. Go big, or go home.

A few years ago some friends and I were at a bar. A guy begins to chat me up. He tells me that he is so thankful I came out that evening. I tell him to thank my friend for driving me out there. He thanks her. She tells him he can thank her by paying for the gas it took to get me out there. He reaches into his wallet…and pulls out a $50. At this point, I'm in shock. Really? He's going to give her $50 bucks? That's crazy. And awesome. Then he leans over and asks the bartender for change. He then hands my friend a $20. Epic Fail. He could have just laughed off her joke and bought us a drink. Instead he went small, and went home…ALONE.

A friend of mine was recently on the metro. She sat down next to a dude and happened to love the way he smelled. She asked him what kind of cologne he was wearing, and that sparked a bit of back and forth conversation between the two of them. His stop was coming up. He said, “I want to give you my number.” She told him she didn’t have her phone on her. He grabs a pen out of his pocket and starts looking for a scrap piece of paper. He could have picked up one of the many abandoned newspapers around. He could have asked for her number and put it in his phone and called her later like a gentleman. Instead, he reaches into his wallet (where she can plainly see, $5, $10, even $20 dollar bills) and starts shuffling through his money. He eventually pulls out a dollar. He writes his number on it. Epic Fail dude. She spent your dollar at the soda machine as soon as she got off the train. Try writing that shit on a $20 next time. Go big, or or at least bigger than a buck!

I was dating a guy awhile back and for Christmas he bought me used Doctor Phil self help tapes and a croquet-your-own bikini. What a horrible gesture. If you’re not going to go big, at least go new. Geezus!

On the contrary I was dating someone for a mere couple of weeks when he told me he wanted to do something nice for me. I was expecting a trip to the Olive Garden. He instead mounted a brand new flat screen TV to my bedroom wall. Finally…! He went Big. 37 Inches Big!

My point is, too often these days, people start to talk to the talk, but few ever walk the walk. It’s time for a little follow through. Don’t bother with the gesture if you don’t have the 37 inches to back it up. Gestures don't have to be expensive. They don't even have to BE at all. But if you're not a basketball player, don't just be content walking around with the ball.