A recent incident has had me thinking about the definition of ‘appropriate behaviour’. An old fashioned notion…or, is it?
For ages I’ve been meaning to meet up with a male ex work friend for a catch up – and last night our diaries finally coincided. We’d bantered over email about timings and venue, settling on Strada (2 for 1 pizza!!) .
Admittedly..(and here is the first instance of my being inappropriate), because I’d had to wait an hour for him, I’d already had a glass of wine when he finally arrived. I’d been people watching – it was a bright and balmy evening.
With the conversation on work, redundancies and mutual friends – i’d settled into ‘relaxed’ mode when he clocked my engagement ring.
“You’re engaged?!” His eyes were pizza round.
I suddenly felt stripped. What had he been thinking all this time? Worse still; what did he think I had been thinking? He’s single, and is obviously up for dating – maybe he thought we were on a DATE!!
Replaying our conversations I cringed; I can be flirtations and familiar with friends, especially once I’ve had a glass of wine. I wouldn’t have blamed him for thinking I’d led him on.
Of course, once I’d shown him a picture of my fiancé and we’d laughed at him being out of the loop in not knowing about him, we where fine. He stopped with the innuendos, and I had another glass of wine.
So today had be thinking – Plato must have been a Christian. ‘Platonic’ friendship – or Plato’s theory of love refers to a relationship where there’s no form of sexual interest at all; just as Jesus taught:
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34)
And, if I may repeat myself: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 (I mentioned this yesterday)
‘God’s will is that we should be sanctified’.
Audiogeist 