My wedding anniversary is coming up and as with any milestone, I think back to what it was like before, how it all happened, what it's like now and what my hopes are for the future. It's also a really good time for a gratitude list. Sometimes it is easy to romanticize the past and think of all the things we miss. That is not the case for me this time. In fact, the stories I remember from my dating escapades tend to be more humorous than anything else. Sometimes I wonder how I ever got myself into those situations? I have been told in the past that my "picker" must have been broken. You know, the part of you that chooses who you are going to go out with? Ya, that part. It is important for that part to be in good working order. Otherwise, you may have stories like these:
First, there was a guy who I had just met. We exchanged phone numbers and he called me the next day to say "I love you". (Yikes!) Or the guy I met at a sweat lodge. (I know. I know). We went out on a date and ended up at a Starbucks. (Go figure). We stared into each others eyes in silence for forty minutes while I literally watched his face shapeshift from young to old and male to female. We never spoke of this shapeshifting but he never called me again so I'm not quite sure what happened there. And then there is my favorite embarrassing story of all time. A guy I had only gone out with a few times came by to pick me up for a date. I was dressed to impress, hair, make up, the whole nine yards. He came in and we were making casual conversation on the couch. You know, the kind you have when you are both trying to make a good impression. Well, he said something funny and I laughed while taking a sip of water. (You see where this is going). I started to cough but I couldn't breathe. I stood up to catch my breath. No luck. My airway was blocked. I looked at him with panic in my eyes. He jumped up and started giving me the Heimlich maneuver. He thrusted his fist into my abdomen three times. On the third time I not only coughed but farted really loud. Panic gave way to utter mortification as we both doubled over each other laughing. Not the impression I was going for, but an impression none the less.
I've never been able to pull off hip, slick and cool. (Obviously). I still remember how I felt that night. Shear embarrassment on so many levels. The funny thing about it. He called back. Go figure.
Needless to say, I found dating exhausting. Other people are way better at it than me. Those guys all came and went. And now here I am years later; grateful to the many memories I have with my husband. Our first pseudo-date, the time he drove two hours to bring me flowers and ended up sneezing the entire way, and our amazing wedding day on top of a mountain just to name a few. Nostalgia isn't all bad, especially when I remember the good times and in the process, it opens my heart a little more to the present.
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