With some friends from out-of-town visiting for the weekend, Erik and the group went out to "a very neighborhood-y gay bar on Chicago's north side, and it was packed!" Erik describes how he took drink orders from his friends and squeezed up to the bar. He'd been there only a minute when someone he'd never met before grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the bar. He introduced himself and said he wanted Erik to meet someone. Over at a table, he introduced Erik to Andrew, saying, "Andrew is new to Chicago [he'd only just moved there two months prior to attend medical school] and needs someone to show him around." Erik willingly volunteered for the job, and the two started chatting. 

The funny side of the story is that Erik told it dozens of times to many friends before telling it once when Andrew was present as well. It was then that a bit of back-story Erik had always assumed - that Andrew had seen him and pointed him out to his friend, and that his friend was bold enough to go drag Erik over to their table - was not, in fact, what had happened.

By Heidi Mann, Associate Editor

Rev. Heidi Mann serves as Associate Editor, copy-editor, "Someone You MUST Know" feature author, and all around "God send" for 10,000 Couples. She is also a freelancer and owns Final Touch Proofreading and Editing, LLC. Heidi has been something of a wordsmith in various contexts throughout her life, from junior high, when she first started writing poetry; through high school, college, and graduate school, where writing skills came in very handy; and on through 13+ years of ministry as a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a role in which she wrote regularly for sermons, newsletters, and correspondence. Heidi lives in the tiny and delightful town of Hendrum, Minn., with her husband, 2 young sons, and 4 mischievous cats.