COSMIC BLINDNESS

CINDERELLA NIGHT REVISITED

The moment my studio became the largest Country-Western program in Houston, the Supernatural fireworks that had accompanied the early years of my dance career went into remission.  During the late 80's and throughout the 90's, I lived what one might call a 'normal life', whatever that is.  During my 17-year Supernatural Dry Spell, I was so busy running the studio that Fate was no longer front and center as part of my daily consciousness. 

In Hindsight, Marla's entrance into my life coincided with the end of the Dry Spell.  I mark the curious November 2000  'Lighting Bolt' incident as the opening bell.  However I did not think that Fate was involved at the time.  Nor did I have any suspicion of Fate during the six months Marla ignored me at the studio prior to the cruise trip.  That changed abruptly the moment I spotted her in the nightclub on Cinderella Night.  Well aware that Marla's unexpected presence was very unusual, I immediately went on Supernatural Alert.  However, I refused to jump to conclusions.  Since Marla had been so much on my mind lately (thanks to Miami), her appearance was a definite coincidence.  However it might turn out to be meaningless.  Intensely curious, I decided to see what happened next. 

I was surprised when Marla accepted my offer to buy her a margarita.  I had expected she would thank me for asking her to dance, then return to her cabin.  Instead she obligated herself to sit down and chat with me for a while.  I was also surprised to notice she was interested in our conversation.  I had never seen that before.  The key moment took place ten minutes into the conversation.  As I spoke, I noticed Marla's expression change.  I could see it in her eyes.  Was it a blink?  A double-take?  It struck me that perhaps Marla had begun to see me in a different light.  Seeing her brows furrow, I think the realization startled her.  Since I barely knew Marla, I said nothing.  However I had a very strong hunch about that moment.

Following a night of romance followed by a day of misunderstanding, after we cleared the air, Marla and I realized we had something very special.  Despite feeling a bit overwhelmed by the suddenness of it all, we made a solemn vow to build on this promising start.  Smart move.  We have never been apart since. 

Throughout our whirlwind romance during the 2001 cruise trip, my mind was locked on Supernatural Alert.  Ordinarily a person does not notice the significance of a coincidence as it takes place.  More often it is only when the impact becomes clear that the event can be elevated to Supernatural status.  However, the peculiar nature of Cinderella Night held my focus.  By the time the trip ended, I had already identified three meaningful coincidences: meeting Marla in the nightclub on Night One, running into Marla in the hallway on Night Two, and the discovery that Marla's unexpected knowledge of my 'Ashley Secret' was responsible for much of the confusion between us.

Now my thoughts turned to a fourth Supernatural possibility: Cosmic Blindness.  Why would Marla fail to notice me for six months at the studio only to suddenly fall in love during the trip?  Considering all the times I had failed to get her to notice me, it seemed very odd to see her impression of me change so dramatically.  And why so quickly?  We completely skipped the 'Friend Stage' and went straight to commitment.  Recalling my own lightning bolt, it seemed like Marla had been hit by a lightning bolt of her own.  That was wonderful, but I still wondered why it took Marla so many months to recognize what I had to offer.  Feeling suspicious, I believed that the Universe was playing a game.  I referred to it as "Hiding in Plain Sight".   

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

Interestingly enough, the idea that a future life partner can enter one's life completely unnoticed is not as far-fetched as one might think.  Every fan of Rom-Com movies knows that 'Hiding in the Plain Sight' is a tried-and-true plot device.  There are a surprising number of Hallmark romance movies that pay homage to this phenomenon.

This theme typically centers around three main characters.  One is the totally ignored paramour who suffers no end.  Another character is the unworthy boyfriend.  The third is the star, typically a clueless but well-meaning lady.  Unaware she is the object of the unknown suitor's affection, our heroine concentrates on the wrong man while taking her sweet time warming up to the eventual winner of the Love Triangle.  The reason this slow-to-develop Romance is considered a Comedy is that everyone is tickled by the lady's inability to see the right guy is standing directly in front of her eyes. 

This of course makes for an amusing tale punctuated by a happy ending.  Surprise, surprise, at the show's end, Miss Oblivious wakes up to realize the man of her dreams has been standing right before her eyes the entire time.  They smooch and live happily ever after.

Although my romance with Marla contained elements of the classic script, it differed in one significant way.  The typical 'Hiding in the Plain Sight' plot involves a gradual development of interest in the new guy.  Of course we have Marla, the lady who drives viewers crazy with her inexplicable loyalty to an unworthy boyfriend while ignoring the right guy who is pleading for her attention.  So far so good.  Ordinarily one would expect Marla to start with mild interest towards me, the wannabe boyfriend, then warm up one step at a time before each commercial break.  Then due to some dramatic plot twist in the last scene, theoretically Marla would finally catch on. 

But that is not how it happened.  Marla did not give me the time of day for six months.  Nor did she bother to tell me the awful things Chris was doing to her.  I remained Invisible.  No gradual warm-up.  No budding friendship.  Unable to see me as anything other than her dance instructor, she shut me out.  Not only that, Marla did everything in her power to declare herself off-limits.  In addition to using her "Six Years and Counting" sign to unknowingly ward me off, Marla's trip to Miami with Chris was a serious departure from the Rom-Com script.  No doubt the Hallmark viewers would have been bewildered. 

If you ask Marla, she will swear I never gave her the slightest hint that I was interested during our dozen or so conversations prior to the trip.  I see her point.  Once I found out she had a six-year boyfriend, I was very careful to avoid rejection.  What I was waiting for was a signal of at least some interest.  If I could reach 'Friend' status, then maybe she would trust with more of her personal life and I could fathom the degree of her attachment to Chris.  Sorry to say, Marla was plainly not interested. 

It is my belief that women are equipped with radar.  Maybe I give women too much credit, but it has always been my impression that women are masters at sensing subliminal clues.  I base this conclusion on various women I have met over the years who later said they knew I was interested long before I actually admitted it.  Considering I had crossed the room at least 12 times in six months to chat with Marla in hopes of stirring up interest, one would think a bright girl like her would catch on.  Not Marla.  She was oblivious.  That does not mean Marla should have been interested.  Maybe I wasn't her type.  However, under ordinary circumstances she should have at least had an inkling of what I was up to.  Not Marla.  During our Enchanted Evening, Marla insisted I was so business-like in my conversations, she never had the slightest idea.  She swore she never picked up the slightest vibe back at the studio.  And I believe her.  Marla is a straight-shooter.  If she says I did a lousy job of communicating interest, I can accept that.

Let us not forget my lingering Intuition that Marla would like me if she would just give me a chance.  Forgive me if I sound full of myself, but in the past anytime I had been strongly attracted to a woman, the woman had responded favorably in varying degrees.  In Marla's case, we fit each other's profile.  She was bright.  I was bright.  She was sarcastic.  I was sarcastic.  She liked to dance, I liked to dance.  I was funny enough to make her laugh during dance class.  All things considered, I SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST RATED A TRY-OUT!!  Nope.  The thought never crossed her mind. 

I could tell I was not on her radar.  Nevertheless, my Intuition insisted I keep tabs on Marla despite all Real World evidence to the contrary.  Some say Intuition is the Voice of God.  If so, perhaps my higher self was tuned in from the start that Marla was meant to be special despite her complete lack of interest.  The fact that my Intuition turned out to be correct was yet another reason why I believed a Supernatural aura foreshadowed our romance.  Nevertheless, my Intuition was sorely tested during the six months where I got nowhere.  The hardest part was Miami.  Marla's Miami trip was a lights out, extinction level event.  It hurt like hell to think about Marla and Chris partying at the Salsa club, then returning to the hotel for a night of passion.

I got the message.  The woman does not know I exist.  Shame on me for false dreams.  Given the extent of my gloom, imagine my shock when Marla appeared right before my eyes one week later at the Disco.  Oh my gosh, look who it is.  Do I dare get my hopes up?  It's midnight, right?  No doubt she's tired.  In fact, Marla was indeed ready to leave when I came along.  However, to my relief, she changed her mind when I asked her to dance.  I was careful not to read too much into it. 

When I offered to buy her a drink, I fully expected Marla to say, "No thanks, Rick, it's been a long day.  Maybe another time."  When Marla accepted my offer, now I was getting suspicious.  What's going on here?  This is out of the ordinary.  Two for two in ten minutes after zero for six months.  However, I was still not quite ready to assign Supernatural status to our unexpected meeting.  The next thing I knew, Marla seemingly warmed up to me as we conversed.  Did I say something witty?  No.  I was talking about freeway congestion.  Was she drunk?  Funny you should ask.

During our Enchanted Evening later in the night, Marla said she first noticed me during our freeway discussion.  Of course I teased her about it.  I couldn't resist.  After all, what woman in her right mind falls in love over a conversation about congested freeways?  I remarked the more likely catalyst would be the three margaritas she consumed.  Every time I quoted the line how Tequila has been lowering women's standards for centuries, Marla would stick out her tongue in mock protest. 

RICK ARCHER'S LIST OF SUSPECTED SUPERNATURAL EVENTS

115

114

113

112

Suspicious

Coincidence

Ultra Serious

 Coincidence

Suspicious

Love is Blind
Cosmic Blindness

Serious

Suspicious

Love is Blind
Cosmic Blindness

Suspicious

Lucky Break
Coincidence

Suspicious

Soul Mate Concept