CATEGORY: PORT TOWNSEND

PLACE:  Bayshore Enterprises, Port Townsend: a school and work-training facility for mentally challenged adults.

SCENE:  An appointed board of four citizens have come to offer advice and counseling for the mentally challenged students on the subject of being single.  The subject for the day is, “Opportunities and Problems of Single Adults.”

QUESTION FROM A MENTALLY CHALLENGED ADULT:  How do you go about asking a girl for a date?

MALE BOARD MEMBER:  Well, here is how I feel about it.  You should be very careful about what girl you ask for a date.  Just because you see a girl that you think is attractive or pretty doesn’t mean she is the right girl for you or that you should ask her to go out with you.  You should decide what you really want.  You should know your own values.  Then you should find out if the girl has the same values and interests.  I mean there are a lot of pretty girls around, and if you ask them all to go out with you, pretty soon you don’t know where you are.  You have lost sight of your values.  I mean you should be very careful about a girl that you are attracted to because of the way she looks, or if she smiles at you.  You should not go out with the first girl you see who attracts you.  You should be careful.

(SILENCE)

MALE BOARD MEMBER CONTINUES:  I mean, it is like going into an ice cream store.  There are a lot of flavors.  You might want them all.  But non of them is the real essence of ice cream.  You have to be careful to choose the right ice cream and not get side tracked with flavors.

(SILENCE)

ONE OF THE MENTALLY CHALLENGED ADULTS:  Well——–you could just call her on the phone.