The Bar Chronicles: #15, “Was It Something We Said”?

Bar Night 2

As we slip-slide our way into winter, the fluctuations are remarkable.  The thermometer toggles between mild and frigid, then back to mild, then frigid, while the only constant is the early darkness.  

By evening, the streetlights guide us to ‘The Back Nine’, a sports bar in Pittsford, NY.  The fare is a bit high but the atmosphere is classy, and we fit the bill with our khakis, pullover sweaters and ‘Curious George’ sweatshirt (2 of 3 isn’t bad).  We opted for the quiet air of the backroom where our own conversation was audible… and our fashions were not a distraction.

Unbeknownst to us, as we clinked our glasses and huddled in conversation, The Back Nine would be closing within days of this evening’s beer fest, if one beer qualifies as a ‘fest’. It’s a disappointment, we enjoyed our two visits here, on ‘Bar Night’, and looked forward to returning, upscaling our outings a bit.

There are many reasons why an establishment shutters its doors, but a watering hole in a classy town, closing?  A bit of a surprise and made me think, ‘was it something we said’?

The closing certainly wasn’t due to rowdiness, we’re a docile group and any swaying or tippiness was a result of our age and equilibrium, not too many drinks.  Was it our overheard conversations that intimidated patrons and discouraged them from returning?  The mention of the world’s ant population outweighing humans, or insects dying at alarming rates or mollusks having eyes, may have been inappropriate for a crowd looking for something less cerebral on their ‘bar night’?

Soaring property assessments and declining school performances maybe was too staid for the ears of the common bar fly. Did we discuss the genius of Churchill and Aristotle too loudly for a drinking crowd?

The problem for bars that accept small bands of Seniors is that we don’t drink much, we talk too loud and our topics are extrapolated from editorial pages of the NYT or WSJ, instead of the Sporting News or NASCAR weekly. We may be haughty and tend to bloviate.  We are polite to a fault but can be pompous…and we wear curious clothing. We are Seniors, you know.

It’s about time for another gathering. We’ll go back to our favorite ‘dive’, where every spot is loud and the patrons don’t care what we say, the crappy music is too loud to hear anything, and a dog walks among us. The cheap beer will guarantee the doors will always swing wide…

…a Curious George sweatshirt will be a welcome attraction!

“Education is the best provision for old age” Aristotle

Steve
Srbottch.com
Jan 2018

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srbottch

Retired in 2013 after 5 years as an elementary school teacher and 40 years as a sales representative to begin anew as a school crossing guard. SMy essays/stories are a way to communicate through the telling of personal experiences. One reader said about my blog stories, "...these are like a cold sip during a marathon run, simple, real life events". Another offered about my blog, “it brings some sense of normalcy not easily found in the modern world.”

21 thoughts on “The Bar Chronicles: #15, “Was It Something We Said”?”

  2. A great reflection and many words of wisdom. I nod my head reading your words, as they speak how I feel or what I would say. Hey, loud is good! I’m with you on this one, Steve. Thank you for a great post.

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    1. Thanks, Derrick. This place was a sports bar but we’ll return to the corner bar (pub, if you will), next time. By the way, im not familiar with the term, ‘at a rate of knots’. Please explain.

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      2. Thanks, Derrick. Sometimes I use the expression ‘faster than a bum on a baloney sandwich’ which has its roots in silly humor (or do you say ‘humour’?) 😜 have a great week, Derrick.

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  4. I’m not much of a bar person simply because the noise level at my “hearing” age (I spent way too much of the 60’s at loud concerts near the sound system go go dancing) leaves a bit to be desired.
    I have taken to offering an intimate spot in my home where we can visit and converse without ending the night with laryngitis.

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    1. I hear ya’, Linda (or, maybe I don’t). My hearing on the left is la king because of a surgery years ago. Of course, listening to loud music didn’t help, either. Thanks so much for sharing your comment.

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  6. Oh, we’re lucky to have you seniors! You bring a wise perspective and up our overall IQ:). But I did have to laugh because whether it’s Starbucks outdoor courtyard or the local wine bar, there always seems to be a group of loud senior men settling the world’s problems. I could picture the scene as you described it:).

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