Consider, for your approval, a Halloween party at a neighborhood bar. Intoxicated co-eds are cruising while enjoying loud music and a costume contest. A fortune-teller hired to entertain the crowd sits at a booth on the side of the room. She has a long line but she keeps the two chairs at the table full. Next in line is a young man, college age, early 20s that’s had a little too much to drink and has physical boundary issues with most of the opposite sex. This guy choses to opt out of the chair and snuggles in the booth next to the fortune-teller putting his hand on her leg. He has now entered into the Tarot Twilight Zone.
Him: I bet you would like me to read your for-te-une.
Me: Okay. What’s your name?
Him: Scott.
Me: Scott, what’s going on here? Look, you need to back off and give me some space.
Scott: Wahh?
Me: Scott. Really? Come on. Scoot over. (I give him a little push on the arm)
Scott: Oh. Ugh. Sorry. Do I have to move to the chair? I can’t hear very well.
Me: No. You can sit with me. You just need to give me some room. Okay? Let’s get going. I have a line. Let’s read cards. Pick 5.
Scott picks 5 cards from the pile of tarot cards face down in front of him and hands them over to me one by one. I quickly survey the cards and get the message. His reading is all about a girl that he is interested in, but it’s going nowhere. No surprise there when I convey this message to him.
Scott confesses that he is having trouble with girls and doesn’t know why. Why don’t they like him? What’s he doing wrong? He’s frustrated.
Me: Scott, why do you think you are having trouble with relationships?
Scott: I don’t know.
Me: Okay, let’s go back to how you sat down with me this evening. It was totally out of line, right? I mean really – hitting on the fortune-teller? Seriously, dude. I’m your mom’s age!!
Scott – I know. I know. I get too friendly and I make an ass out of myself. I don’t know why I do it.
Me – I think that if you just respected people’s space and acquired some understanding of social and personal boundaries it might be a start. What do you think?
Scott – It’s that simple?
Me – Yup! And it could make a big difference.
Scott stayed a few more minutes thanking me for not yelling at him or making leave immediately when he acted like a jerk. It would have been easy to have done that too and justifiable. But I saw a good guy in his future. It’s my job to try and help him see that too because sometimes we get stuck in our own Twilight Zone episode and need some help getting out.
Fortune-telling is fun for any party, event, promotions, fundraisers and so much more!