An Awkward Moment

Last night Becky and I discovered "Downton Abbey." It's the PBS classic Masterpiece television series about an aristocratic family and its servants. It took us a couple of episodes to realize it wasn't DOWNTOWN Abbey (and that's a good thing because it's set in the country in a castle-like estate!) Now we're hooked on this brilliant series with patriarch and matriarch Earl Robert and Countess Cora! The show began with the sinking of the Titanic in which the heir to the estate was engaged to one of their three daughters. But the fiance died in the sinking of the great ship and the estate was destined to go to a male heir NOT one of the lovely daughters of Downton Abbey.

So we watched three epsiodes of this wacky, funny, addictive series and then decided to take Maggie for a late night walk around the block. Well...we stepped out of the garage and I commented on the show "how scandalous for PBS--there's even a gay man!" Then I heard voices and turned, lo and behold our two neighbors (Paul and Gary) were not five feet away in their screened-in porch entertaining company! Yes, Paul and Gary are gay (we love them), yes they heard my comment! Becky tried to recover, really tried to come up with something to save the moment, started with "yeah the series..." and just sort of petered out. "It's scandalous with the Turkish diplomat found dead in Lady Mary's bed," I tried. Well once we got past their house, across the street and far from their home we both started laughing uncontrollably. "What's the chances of that?" I said. We laughed a roaring laugh, a laugh that went on and on for blocks. A laugh that was resurrected repeatedly throughout our walk. I can honesly say it's been years since I laughed that hard. And like those carthartic cries that release a sense of sadness, this laugh released a great sense of JOY. And made me feel incredibly HAPPY!!