The Old Friend

Forgive me father, for I have sinned... It has been two weeks since my last 'blog session...

In October, or there abouts, an old friend asked me to join him on a kid friendly outing. I don't remember his exact words, but the insinuation was- a group of friends, park, live music, picnic, kids.

Sounded fun, so I bundled up the kids, packed a picnic basket and off we went.

Now, there is a bit of history I suppose I should fill you in on here. This friend of mine, a single dad, has asked me out on many a date previously. I don't mean this in an egotistic manner... We've been friends a long time. But that's it, just friends. Nothing more, and no dates have ever eventuated.

So the kids and I rock up to the park, picnic baskets overflowing and there he is. Keen as mustard. So I ask, shall we pick the spot or is there already a dedicated spot for everyone somewhere else, to which I receive a vague waved arm and a mumbled response, so I follow in suit, and wander up off the hill, live music playing, watching the kids making sure they don't stray too far.

We sit, we unpack, and as the kids start to play, it dawns on me. There is no group picnic. This is a date...

The day goes smoothly, the kids have fun, the music is good, but it starts to rain. So we pack up and head our separate ways. There was lots of attempted hand holding, close-sitting, sharing of food, and other couple-y stuff that made me squirm just a little.

So my point and question is this: What makes a date a date?
When one single person asks another single person out to a place at a point in time, is it automatically a date, or is it the intentions behind the question that make it a date?
Can you trick someone into a date? Clearly yes... But is there any point!
Do the intentions of it being a date have to be made clear for it to be a date?
What if a married person (with not so innocent intentions) asks a single person out for a meal? Is that counted as a date? (We'll come to this down another day!)