Tommy is with his sponsor. They have just left an A.A. meeting and his sponsor David  is walking to the train. Tommy walks with him so that he can get in some sponsor – sponsee time. “So what should I do?” Tommy asks him

“I suggest that you should stay out of the chat rooms for a while.” David says to him with regards to him telling him about Ramon and the other guys he’s come in contact with in his search for love or whatever else he’s looking for.

“Well how else am I supposed to meet men?” Tommy ask him.

David stops walking for a minute, looks at him and say’s.  “Tommy you want to meet quality men right?”

Tommy stops walking too. He hesitates before he answers. ” Well yeah but.”

“But what?”

” I don’t know!” Tommy slowly starts to shut down on this topic. His sponsor picks up on it

“See now there you go. We try to touch on what you really want and need from a man and you start to shut down on me.”

Tommy sounding defensive. “I do not!”

David laughed and shook  his head.  “Yes Tommy you do.”

Tommy now sounding both defensive and annoyed. ” I said I do not and stop laughing at me!”

David  starts walking again and Tommy  continues on in step with him. He is still feeling agitated  but says nothing. “How long have I been your sponsor Tommy?”

Tommy does not answer him.

“And  I never laugh at you. I want you to understand something though. When you talk to me I listen. When you ask me a question, I am only giving you suggestions. What you decide to do afterwards that is between you and your higher power.”

Tommy  being Tommy starts  acting embarrassed. “I know. What ever. Let’s keep walking.”

David shook his head at him again, smiled, stops walking for a second and say’s. “Tommy you know what I want you to do for your-self?”

“What?” Tommy said honestly sounding interested.

“I want you to sit down and make a list of ten things/qualities that you want in a man. When you are done, you and I will sit down and talk about it. Can you do that?”

Tommy lets out a very loud sigh. “Yes! Okay I will.”

“What’s the matter?” David ask him.

Tommy smiled. “I hate home-work.”

“Don’t think of it as home-work. Think of it as nourishment for your soul.”

“Who are you Oprah now!”

David puts on a big ole smile.  “I’ll take that as a compliment. I don’t even think that Oprah could sponsor you. You’re a hand-full and a half but I love you.”

“What are you trying to say?  That I am a hopeless case?”

David shoots him  Tommy a look that Tommy is all too familiar with and they both laugh.

“Tommy you know that I love you more than I love my shoes.”

Tommy looks down at the shoes that David is wearing and responds with playful attitude. “I hope that you are not talking about the ones that you are wearing now. Those are just not working child.”

“You are such a “Diesel queen.” Leave my shoes alone.”

“What ever!” Tommy says with a smile. Enjoying their exchange of attitude.

“So you are going to do the list right? Trust me I did and I would never suggest it if I had not done it my-self. It worked for me. I have been with the same partner for 8 yrears now because of that list.”

Tommy  Mockingly says. “Yeah, yeah I know and “he’s everything that you could ever want in a guy.” I have heard it before. But here’s the “hit” where did you find him?”

” God sent him to me.”

Tommy with even more mockingly and sarcasm says.  “From where? Did he just drop him from the sky? Because I tell you what, with my busy schedule  God knows that I can’t meet a descent man in a club. All they really want to do is hook-up and while I am not against hooking up, I want to meet someone to actually date.”

“Thus the list Tommy. And I say that God sent him to me because after I made the list I stopped needing. I knew what I wanted and it didn’t become a priority and then one day – sitting having lunch by myself, minding my own business and there he was. He walked right up to me. A gift from God. I’m just saying.”

Tommy  still with the mocking. “I know and the rest is history! I’ll do the list okay. Meanwhile what I do about Ramon?”

“That situation seems to be taking care of it-self from what you have told me. Perhaps you should let it be. Let your higher power continue to take care of it for you. Can you do that?”

Sounding doubtful. – “I guess. I don’t know.”

The two of them arrived at the train station. David gives Tommy a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  ” Well that’s honest. What ever you decide to do you know that you can always talk to me about it.”

David slowly walks down the stairs to the train and say’s – “Do the List!”

Tommy playfully yells back – I will!! Damn work my nerves”

Tommy leaves the train station stop and starts to walk up 7^th   avenue from Christopher Street. He walks in and out of a few clothing boutique’s. After trying on several hats he finally decides to buy one. He walks out of the store and then he stops into a fast food restaurant to pick up something for dinner. He decides to go to  the park off 14^th street and 8^th ave. to sit down to eat. He looks up after taking a bite from his salad and a man is standing right in front of him. It was Ramon.

“You come here often Tommy?”