A few weeks ago, I went to an AMAZING writing conference in Eau Claire. We spent some of our time at the conference doing our own writing. That exercise reminded me of something. I LOVE WRITING! It's such an amazing way to express yourself. The simple action of writing caused me to think about my long forgotten blog (after logging in and discovering both that I had renamed it again AND had not been on in a year and a half), I decided it was time to get back to doing something I love. I'm fairly certain few people care enough to read what I post, but so what. It's the simple act of getting words on paper or screen that gets the creative juices flowing.
While we were at that conference we learned to teach our students that all first drafts are lousy (I apologize in advance for the lousy first draft you are reading-though it's much better already than the version that was accidentally lost in cyberspace). During that writing time, I wrote something I'm really proud of putting together. It's been a long time since I've written something and gone back and revised it and revised it and revised it. That being said, I really want to share it with someone (or maybe no one, who cares). So here it is:
People
had always been telling me that one day, I would have those moments I would
look back on and realize that my life changed in that instant. Initially it
sounded like a cliché or something someone would tell you to make you feel like
there was something better coming. It always seemed to me that it would be this
huge life altering decision that would change my life completely. In reality,
it was something I did almost every day without much thought. So, when I posted
a status update to Facebook that day, I never imagined that would be my moment.
It
was an unusual Saturday. I had nowhere to go and decided I was going to do
nothing important as well. I could do anything I wanted with the day, and I was
locking myself into solitary confinement. I watched movies and lounged in my sweats.
I had no intention of taking a shower. My goal was to bask in the glory that
was the art of doing nothing.
It
was a fantastic day of laziness. Considering I’m almost always stressed out and
busy, it seemed natural to post my terrible dilemma to Facebook. Should I rent
a fourth movie or just return the last three?
What
I didn’t know was that halfway across town, a guy I had met at a bar and
befriended in cyberspace a few months earlier was running late for mini-golfing
with friends and decided to check his Facebook. He read my status and decided
that I shouldn’t rent a movie, but rather should come hang out with him.
I
responded to his post while washing the dishes, my one attempt at productivity
for the day. The idea of seeing some faces after a day of solitude sounded enticing.
Not to mention I had been suspicious if this guy had a crush on me, or if he
wanted to be friends. So the invitation included a bit of intrigue. After a few
more posts back and forth, I messaged him my number and we agreed that I would
meet him at his place later that evening. I still had movies to return, and I
had to change my plan about not showering that day.
As
I drove across town, I recalled meeting him for the first time at a social hour
for Habitat Young Professionals. There were over sixty people attending that
evening, but as the membership chair for the organization, it was my goal to
talk to everyone. I chatted with him briefly for about ten minutes. In that
time, I discovered his name was Tony and he worked for the local hospital
system. I also unearthed that he knew a friend of mine and had worked with her
when they were in high school. Being that I can’t resist a small world run-in,
I had contacted my friend the next day with a “Guess who I met” call. She had
told me he was a nice guy, but it had been years since she’d had any contact
with him.
I arrived at his apartment, and as I
approached the door I could feel the uncertainty hanging in the air. I wasn’t
really sure what I was getting myself into, or what his intentions were when he
invited me over. Truthfully, I’m not sure I knew what my intentions were in
accepting. I located “Dao” and buzzed his number. He let me in and I navigated
my way through the maze of unfamiliar hallways and arrived at his door. I felt
a sense of calm, when he greeted me with this big smile that lit up his whole
face.
I
remember feeling underdressed in my jeans and t-shirts as he was wearing what
he calls his “casual pants” which I am still certain are dress pants. He
invited me in and we sat awkwardly on the couch having a conversation about
what to do that evening. We could go meet some of his friends at an apartment
down the hall or hang out and watch a movie. I indecisively allowed him to
choose and he decided we should stay in that night.
We
sat on opposite ends of the couch and chatted. I’m ordinarily an outgoing
person, but something about that evening had me feeling unusually shy. He had
to keep the conversation going at the beginning. He poured us each a glass of
white zinfandel and we started to watch a TV show. We continued to chat about
our lives and as time passed the conversation became easier. Somehow as the
night went on, I found myself sitting closer to him, and feeling comfortable
even as he put his arm around me for the first time.
It
still amazes me that one inconsequential post to social media led me to that
moment on the couch. It amazes me more so, the event that followed exactly one
year later…
We
were celebrating our one year anniversary at a vineyard. After a tour, Tony took
a bottle of white zinfandel out of a bag and handed it to me. It had a tag
hanging off of a tied ribbon. It said, “One year ago, we shared this wine,
laughs, stories, and the beginning of the rest of our lives together. I love
you, Sara.” As I absorbed what was happening around me, he quietly got down on
one knee and asked me to marry him.
People
had always told me there would be an instant in my life where I would look back
and realize that everything changed. I had naïvely expected that instant to be
some obvious moment, revelation, or choice. It turns out it was something as
mundane as a proud proclamation of boredom on social media that changed mine. And
honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I have had a hard time coming up with a brilliant title, so it still doesn't have one. Ah well. That's more or less what I've been up to for the past year and a half-ish.
I was just in the middle of a sentence about proudly saving several times while typing this when my computer shut itself down. Nothing like learning my lesson. Everything was safe! What are the odds that happens twice in the same blog post.
Today's lesson kids: ALWAYS SAVE ALL THE TIME!
I was just in the middle of a sentence about proudly saving several times while typing this when my computer shut itself down. Nothing like learning my lesson. Everything was safe! What are the odds that happens twice in the same blog post.
Today's lesson kids: ALWAYS SAVE ALL THE TIME!
