Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Tell us about times in which you linger — when you don’t want an event, or a day to end. What is it you love about these times? Why do you wish you could linger forever?

I linger where and when I find contentment.

Sometimes that’s by myself in a coffeehouse sipping a beverage I didn’t make and soaking up the right ambiance.  I know I should go home and drink my own coffee and do my work, but I just want to savor the moment a bit longer.  Often, I’m people watching and fascinated by someone. There’s a crossing guard near a coffeehouse I frequent – she brings kids in all afternoon and feeds them. I love her for this.

Sometimes that’s when Ledcat and I have a particularly nice meal – often at Legends of the North Shore. I postpone the sensation by ordering a cup of decaf and just enjoy how special it feels. I remember lingering a few years ago over a Thanksgiving meal at Atria’s, the same sensation – just savoring the moment of good food with my most beloved. Apparently, coffee helps me favor.

Sometimes, I linger in casual conversation. This happens when it’s been awhile since I’ve talked with anyone in real time so I unexpectedly hunger for human contact. It might be a neighbor, it might be a casual acquaintance I bump into somewhere. I’ll bring up topics to keep the chatter going until the social cues register that it is time to wrap up  things and “let you go now.” Because we all find the person who forges us to remain in conversation too long to be exasperating.

I used to linger in phone conversations, but I really don’t prefer the phone these days. Is it possible to linger in social media? I suppose, but it can easily be a solitary experience so it doesn’t feel the same. Sometimes this feels more like wallowing.

My favorite linger – ever – was when I met Ledcat. We were at a meeting and chatted afterwards, classic “lingering still” and then lingering as we left the building and then lingering when we met again the next week. It was pretty awesome.