Transcript for the Piece Audio version of 8 Minute Soulmate
[Ambience of Eight minute dating event at Muddy Rudder]
THIS IS RICH
RICH: i?m 45, 6?2?, 205 lbs,?.I?m a realtor,? residential real estate is what i specialize in..
RICH IS SINGLE.
RICH:..... i?m really ?other? oriented, ?? i?m a senser and a feeler. Very optomistic, i add a lot to anything, whether it?s a barbeque or a get together, a game night?.
HE?S NEVER BEEN MARRIED, AND HE HAS NO KIDS. HE?S HOPING TO CHANGE THAT. BUT HIS TIME IS RUNNING OUT. IN FACT, HE ONLY HAS EIGHT MINUTES.
Rich: Hi Nancy
Nancy: Nice to Meet you Rich
Rich: nice to be met....
RICH AND NANCY ARE MEETING FOR THE FIRST TIME. THEY ARE SEATED AT AN INTIMATE CANDLE-LIT TABLE AT A RESTAURANT IN YARMOUTH, MAINE. WHILE NANCY APPEARS NERVOUS, RICH SEEMS RELAXED, AND LEANS IN SLIGHTLY OVER THE TABLE.
RICH...and you?re a lefty, uh-oh, but you?ll say you?re in your right mind, right?
nancy: actually, i can?t even use left handed scissors
RICH: where do you live?....
RICH:, i tend to be very quick witted and can think on my feet ... you know, if someone sits down with a red dress or something, i?ll say ?are you the lady in red that they sing about?? you know?
THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO DOZEN OTHER MEN AND WOMEN COUPLED AT TABLES THROUGHOUT THE ROOM. EACH PERSON WILL HAVE EIGHT DATES, AND EACH DATE WILL LAST EIGHT MINUTES.
RICH: here?s something ? twenty thirty bucks to go have a night event... um. you know, a chance to meet eight women, i mean, if you go out on a date and have dinner, that?s thirty bucks right there, I think it?s well worth the investment.
Rich: so you haven?t done eight minute dating before?
nancy: no, how about you?
Rich: i?ve actually done it twice.
nancy: oh, have you?
THIS IS RICH?S THIRD EVENT. HE?S BEEN HERE BEFORE, HE KNOWS THE DRILL. EACH PERSON IS IDENTIFIED BY THEIR FIRST NAME AND A THREE DIGIT NUMBER. RICH IS RICH805. RICH RECORDS EACH DATES? NAME AND NUMBER IN HIS DATING CARD. HE ALSO MAKES NOTES ABOUT EACH WOMAN, TO REFER TO LATER WHEN HE CHOSES HIS MATCHES.
BUT FOR RICH, KNOWING THE DRILL DOESN?T MAKE IT ANY EASIER. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT HE ONLY HAS EIGHT MINUTES TO GET TO KNOW HIS DATE AND FIGURE OUT IF SHE?S RIGHT FOR HIM. EVERY SECOND COUNTS.
Rich: ...what type of a career are you in?
nancy: weelll, that?s sort of a ....
Rich: unemployed
nancy: no, i?m employed, i?m working for a friend
RICH: For me, i love someone who ... has the ability to naturally smile...
[SECOND BELL]
Tina: moving onto date #2, if any of you would like a drink refill?..
RICH:..., i like someone who?s active, someone who is into, whether it?s mountain biking, or skiing or snow shoeing, swimming, kayaking,
Rich: table 8, don?t hesitate! I?m Rich, nice to meet you.
Pat: hi, i?m pat, nice to meet you, too
RICH: um, volleyball, wolleyball, something like that...
Pat: when you have time, what do you do?
Rich: i make a lot of time, kayaking, mountain biking
RICH: what do you do for fun?
Pat: i like to be outside.
RICH:....And i?d love to see someone who?s adept in conversation and socially adept. And intelligent...
Rich: so do you have any kids?
RICH: Someone who wants to have a family....
Pat: no, how about you?
Rich: no, not yet (laughs)
Pat: you still want
Rich: i haven?t given up on that...
---BLENDED---
RICH: ...for me right now, i haven?t given up on that dream, you know?. when i?m 80, 85 years old, sitting in my rocker, i think i?d have regrets if i didn?t have any kids.
RICH: ...I?ve always .... believed in marriage and having a family, and i?ve always believed i wanted to do it once.
(ambience)
RICH: But you question yourself, you go back and say ?Is that too idealistic? is that non-realistic?? i guess i?m a romantic in many ways, and still believe in that, that there?s someone who you?re, like, a soul mate, someone who you just click with...
SOULMATE. THAT?S A LOT OF PRESSURE TO PLACE ON AN EIGHT MINUTE DATE.
RICH: Eight minutes is really short. When you sit down and go through, you really don?t have time to totally sit down and ask questions- but i think you have a general sense. ? It seems to be ample time for me to decide whether you want to go on a second date or not.
[BELL]
(D7, T5) RICH: 8:24 well, nice meeting you...
TINA: . (OFF MIC) ? we are going to pause the romance for about twenty minutes, relax, go to the restroom, get a drink, and mingle among the singles that you havent met yet tonight.... (FADE OUT OF EIGHT MINUTE DATING)
RICH: i am single, and i guess growing up in a large family, there?s nine kids in my family and everyone?s married, i guess somewhere ingrained is the thought that life isn?t complete without getting married, having children and having a family.
RICH: i thought i?d be married and have kids at this point in my life,
RICH: you have another birthday and it?s like, i?m forty five? you know, i feel like im in my thirties. but, everyone has their own path...
FADE TO BLACK
starting up his car.
THE EVENING WINDS DOWN AND RICH HEADS HOME. IT?S BEEN A LONG NIGHT OF DATING.
Bonnie Raitt comes on (? Just when I thought I?d had enough....)
HE LEAVES THE EVENT FEELING OPTIMISTIC, BUT AT THIS POINT, IT?S UNCLEAR IF ANY OF THE EIGHT MINUTES WILL COUNT TOWARDS A SECOND DATE.
RICH: i guess i have about four potential people i?d be interested in exploring.
ON HIS WAY HOME, HE STOPS IN AT HIS OFFICE IN SOUTH PORTLAND, FIRES UP HIS COMPUTER, AND VISITS THE EIGHT MINUTE DATING WEBSITE.
rich enters in ?eight minute dating dot com?
RICH LOGS INTO HIS ACCOUNT TO PICKS HIS MATCHES.
a short medley of names and opinions... (nancy502, pat602, denise809, we had a nice chat... she had her own business.... i wasn?t sure about her...)
SCROLLING THROUGH THE LIST OF WOMEN, RICH SELECTS FOUR WHO HE?D LIKE TO MEET FOR A SECOND DATE.
(RICH READS THE NAMES OF THE FOUR WOMEN HE CHOSE)
WHAT HE DOESN?T KNOW NOW IS ONE OF THESE FOUR WOMEN WILL ALSO CHOSE HIM. RICH 805 AND CATHERINE604 WILL GO OUT FOR DINNER. TWICE. IN THE END, SHE?LL SEND HIM A DEAR JOHN EMAIL. BUT RICH?S OPTIMISM WILL REMAIN CONSTANT.
RICH: just because it hasn?t worked yet, doesn?t mean it?s not a good idea...
RICH: .... so many people say, you?re such a catch, why haven?t you hooked up, and we all have different paths. I just haven?t found the right person yet....
THERE?S ANOTHER EIGHT MINUTE DATING EVENT NEXT MONTH, AND RICH WILL BE THERE.
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