Twelve years ago today marks, in my head at least, the end of the prequel to my life today...I know that sounds confusing. Let me explain.
Twelve years ago today, Valentine's Day I was a student at Northern Illinois University. Technically a sophomore, I was between majors and had no clue about anything.
That night, I got home from an extremely awkward "date" with a guy who had told me the week before he didn't want a relationship but we should still "hang out". Said quasi-date was miserable and weird. I was irritated as all get out, with myself mostly. Guys were stupid and ridiculous and lame. Right? Life is stupid and lame, right? I was stupid and ridiculous and lame, right?
I sat in my dorm room in a pissy mood and logged into AIM (wow, does that exist still?). Two of my best guy friends from high school were on and I began messaging them, venting and making them promise me they would treat girls they "dated" nicer. They were sweet. And funny. And by late evening I had a promise they would come in two weeks for a cheer-up visit.
I didn't talk to either of them much over the next two weeks. The day before they were set to arrive one of my friends messaged me he couldn't make it. The other one promised he would still make the four-hour drive to spend the weekend visiting.
Twelve years later I am married to him.
So how is February 14, 2001 the end of the prequel to my life?
I feel like everything shifted the weekend Andy came to visit. My life to that time was good, but directionless. I didn't know what I wanted. That Valentine's Day brought that fact right to the surface. It was like a big old smack on the forehead of: girl, what are you doing? I was glad I had good friends to turn to. Even happier that they were the "cheer you up" type friends.
Looking back now, had that weekend never happened, I wouldn't have the life I have today.
No sweet Matt, Nic and Em.
No Hawaiian sunshine.
No ECE degree...maybe no degree at all.
No Andy.
And had I not had such a miserable Valentine's Day that weekend would not have happened.
Twelve years ago today, Valentine's Day I was a student at Northern Illinois University. Technically a sophomore, I was between majors and had no clue about anything.
That night, I got home from an extremely awkward "date" with a guy who had told me the week before he didn't want a relationship but we should still "hang out". Said quasi-date was miserable and weird. I was irritated as all get out, with myself mostly. Guys were stupid and ridiculous and lame. Right? Life is stupid and lame, right? I was stupid and ridiculous and lame, right?
I sat in my dorm room in a pissy mood and logged into AIM (wow, does that exist still?). Two of my best guy friends from high school were on and I began messaging them, venting and making them promise me they would treat girls they "dated" nicer. They were sweet. And funny. And by late evening I had a promise they would come in two weeks for a cheer-up visit.
I didn't talk to either of them much over the next two weeks. The day before they were set to arrive one of my friends messaged me he couldn't make it. The other one promised he would still make the four-hour drive to spend the weekend visiting.
Twelve years later I am married to him.
So how is February 14, 2001 the end of the prequel to my life?
I feel like everything shifted the weekend Andy came to visit. My life to that time was good, but directionless. I didn't know what I wanted. That Valentine's Day brought that fact right to the surface. It was like a big old smack on the forehead of: girl, what are you doing? I was glad I had good friends to turn to. Even happier that they were the "cheer you up" type friends.
Looking back now, had that weekend never happened, I wouldn't have the life I have today.
No sweet Matt, Nic and Em.
No Hawaiian sunshine.
No ECE degree...maybe no degree at all.
No Andy.
And had I not had such a miserable Valentine's Day that weekend would not have happened.
No comments:
Post a Comment