Yesterday, I went to the 6th Annual get together of the art mobile e-mail list. My main fear was that I would be the only one that showed up.

I arrived at the Senator Theater at about 5:45. This was great because a band was supposed to be playing at Belvedere Square which is across the street from the movie theater. When I arrived they were just setting up. I noticed that a number of people were already there. These people had brought chairs with them. I wasn’t about to be standing up up for an hour and a half. The free concert was supposed to start at 6:00. I was supposed to meet Richard from the mail list at 7:30. I was suppose to hand a person I had never met before $10 to see a movie. Was I insane? Was I the only one to show up?

Since the band was setting up I thought it would be great to get something to eat while watching the concert. I was enchanted by a sign I saw across the street that read, Egyptian Pizza. I thought it would be neat to get a slice of exotic pizza. I soon found out that they did not sell slices of pizza. Feeling disenchanted I walked further up the street to the gas station on the corner and bought a bag of chips and two sodas. When I got out the gas station I noticed that there were even more people gathered for the concert. I decided that I would stay on the side of the street I was on. It wasn’t like U2 or the Stones were playing. I could hear them just as well across the street as I would near the square. I decided to sit down on a brick pillar where I ate my chips, drank one of my soda’s, and did crossword puzzles up until it was time to leave for the show.

Every now and then I’d look across the street and wonder who amongst the crowd was part of the internet group. Then I saw a familiar face, the computer guy from Towson University’s art department. I couldn’t quiet remember his name. Like Eureka! I recalled that his name was Richard! Then a thought occured to me was Richard from Towson the same Richard that owns the mail list? Nah, it couldn’t be. Then I noticed that a lot of people seemed to walk up to him and know him. Maybe he’s more popular than I thought he was. However, the question kept running through my mind was he the list owner or the most popular man in Belvedere Square?

Then I was surprised to see a man who looked a lot like Glenn Flodstrum my former chemistry professor at UMAB’s med tech school. I wasn’t quite sure if it was him or someone who looked like him. Who ever it was he seemed to know Richard quiet well. Then at around 7:20 I decided to walk towards the Senator to see if anyone else showed up for the movie and to finally settle the Richard mystery once and for all. I also noticed that the group of people who were with Richard across the street also began to move towards the theater. This is getting weird!!

When I got to the theater I didn’t quiet know what to expect. I had never met anyone from the internet before. For the first time this whole situation sounded silly and downright crazy. I saw no one who looked as though they were waiting for people. I went up to the guy at the box office and told him my situation. I expected him to call the cops or something. He told me to go inside the theater and that the ticket taker would give me a ticket. Again this all seemed silly. I was afraid to go up to the ticket taker and tell him my situation. It took a while before I gathered my courage to go up to him. When I told him he wasn’t surprised shocked or immediately called security. He told me to go to the left and head up the stairs. I was so relieved and yet still scared that I went to the right instead of left.

Eventually, I made it upstairs. The woman ahead of me on the stairway was disabled and there was a concessions person who had boxes of popcorn with her. When I got upstairs there was a table with two pieces of notebook on it. One read left wing the other read right wing. There was also Hershey’s Kisses covering the table. I grabbed a few. I noticed that the majority of Hershey’s taken were those on the left wing. There was also a wooden bucket that contained beer. There was a lot of people there too. So I was not the only one there!

Also there are two sections to the Senator theater’s private upstairs area. I first tried to find a seat in the ‘ahem left wing but noticed that the majority of seats were taken. So I went over to the right wing and found a seat near the aisle.

Also, I found out that Richard from Towson is in fact Richard the e-mail list owner. They’re the same person! I had never really thought to give a mental picture to Richard’s name on the list because no last name was attached to it. However, after seeing him and kinda sorta already knowing him from my days at Towson, I’d say that the celebrity he most resembles is a taller, glasses wearing, Matt Damon. He especially reminds me of Matt Damon as seen in The Talented Mr. Ripley.

I would later find out that evening that the man who looked like Mr. Flodstrum, my chemistry professor was none other than Rev Paul, the mail art guy! The resemblance to Mr. Flodstrum was over whelming. He had the same mannerisms, voice intonations, and everything. He was like Mr. Flodstrum but not Mr. Flodstrum. I learned of his identity when Richard introduced him to the group. After the introduction Rev Paul then went through a presentation about the mail art show that the Creative Alliance was putting on. He later handed out red square pieces of paper with the address to send the mail art to after September. Someone in the audience asked him what he was a reverend in. I didn't quiet catch his response. It sounded like he said hermetic or something like that. I can't think of a celebrity that Rev Paul looks like except for Mr. Flodstrum who's not a celebrity.....

A few minutes later the movie began. I didn’t read any reviews about the movie before hand. Therefore, I wasn’t expecting too much one way or the other. Overall, the movie was ok. It wasn’t the best movie I ever done seen!The Village, was ok. I found it somewhat predictable. At first I thought that they were a group of right wing conservatives who banded together to get back to the alleged good old days. The one thing that led me to this conclusion was that there were no blacks or other minority groups in the village. Also they kept going on about crime and the violent deaths of there loved ones. It turns out that they were a group from a counseling center who decided to live like the good old days.

After the movie I fled the theater. My bus was due to come at any minute and I didn’t want to miss it. I think they were all going to some pub or bar with an Irish name after the movie. I don’t drink so I didn’t see the point in hanging around and going to the bar. Also, I think it would make people feel uncomfortable if I sat around and watched them drink.

If they did this again next year I would definitely be there, bad movie or not. Richard did a great job organizing the event. I swear, I'm not just saying that because there was a bountiful amount of free Hershey's Kisses at the theater.