A Date with an Engaged Woman

** Don't be offended by my title.. Admittedly I have been on dates with an engaged woman before though...Don't judge me lol ^.^ **

               The interview wasn’t long at all. “I only have about five questions, if that’s okay,” I said while setting up my notebook and note pad. “That’s okay,” Ms. Calvasina replied.

                I was just about to get off of the elevator on the floor of my dorm when my phone rang. I switched my Walgreens bag over to my left hand to answer it. “Hello?” “Hey. This is Holly Calvasina. How are you?” was the reply. I automatically smiled, thankful that the voice sounded nice in the least. “Hey.  I’m Brooke Allen. It’s a pleasure to talk to you. I’m well. How are you?” We got out our greetings and friendliness then jumped into the reason for the call.

                After I retrieved my notes, I headed to the floor lobby and sat at a table. I could hear that Ms. Calvasina was already settled and comfortable. 

As I asked my first question, I was slightly nervous but my counterpart sounded quite comfortable. I almost asked if she did this all the time. For the record, Ms. Calvasina is a lesbian. She also is engaged. Of course I broke the professionalism of the interview to congratulate her. The happiness of the event was in her voice immediately. I could hear the smile in her “thank you”.

                “Traditional stereotypes; ‘man hater’, ‘I couldn’t get a man’, ‘I haven’t met the right man’, ‘it’s just a phase’, ‘being a feminist lead to being a lesbian’ are the ones I always hear.” I’ve heard all the stereotypes myself so of course I laughed with her. Ms. Calvasina and I both agreed that we hate the fact that men hit on lesbians in public. Like, why? 

                “How can it be a phase when I’m engaged to another female? We’ve been together for six years.” Admittedly, Ms. Calvasina sounded a little heated with that statement. I can understand her sentiments though. It seems as though if one ever goes against the grain of society’s standards, then it must be just rebellion. It won’t last as some think. Some people just have a different route that they prefer in life. They have chosen a different lifestyle.

                “Do you find any of the stereotypes to be true?” “Not all of the stereotypes; some are true to some people, individually. Some women do hate men. For some women, it may be a phase.” Of course there are always exceptions to the rules. Some people are the reason for the stereotypes. 

                “I believe people are straight until proven gay.” Ms. Calvasina’s statement caught me so off guard. We both laughed. Ms. Calvasina went on to say that the labeling of sexuality is made up in our minds. “It’s easier for society to create labels. Sexuality can be a spectrum.” I was really interested in the metaphors and answer to the question “Do you think any of the stereotypes that homosexuals face transfer into heterosexuality?”  Ms. Calvasina said that it was a good question. That made me smile.

                I was glad to talk to someone like Ms. Calvasina about my blog topic, but I did not want to be selfish while talking to her. My last question was about her blog. 

“Why did you start your blog?” “My blog is a part of a bigger picture. I’m trying to develop a starting base because I’m working on a book. I want to see what reaches the people and find my narrative voice.” I support anyone and everything if it’s positive. I told her I would definitely read a book by her.

I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Ms. Calvasina. She is such a nice woman. Our conversation was not completely professional which I loved. We talked as though we’d known each other for a long time. We laughed and agreed with each other throughout the entire phone call. Before we said our goodbyes, I congratulated her on her engagement again and wished her luck on her future book. “Thank you for your time. I enjoyed talking to you. Enjoy the rest of your day.” She expressed the same sentiments and we ended the call.