Sideline Guy
By this point, you've figured out my blog is now called "My Hope Fulfilled," not "Our Adoption Adventure."
Obviously, the fulfilled hope is Levi...but that's not all!!!
In the next few weeks I am going to take some time to tell you the LONG version of another great story. And I'm going to go all "Pioneer Woman Style" and give you several chapters. I am rehashing some things that I wrote last summer on another blog, so sorry for any overlapping.
Yup, it's going to be sappy. I can't help it, the big oh-five anniversary is coming up, and this is my commemoration.
The Juliana Theory was blasting from the car stereo as the three amigos drove North. Diplomas fresh in our hands and college on the horizon, Steph, Ashley, and I took a day to celebrate at a local amusement park.
During the early morning drive, our conversation bounced from graduation parties to college plans, and of course ended up on the topic of boys and even marriage. Steph had already found the love of her life and knew what they had was very special, so that left Ashley and I to talk about our dream dudes, and our hopes to meet them someday soon. In the back of my mind, I knew Ashley, the brilliant student and beautiful cheerleader, would have no trouble finding “Mr. Right.” Overweight and painfully band-nerdy, my prospects were not so bright.
It was in that car ride that I first realized I would need to be meeting him soon.
I thought that getting married young, but then waiting years for children would be a perfectly romantic situation. Hopeful, but embarassed, I shared with my pals,
“Wow - I never thought about this, but if I want to get married right after college, be engaged for about a year, and date for at least a year before I get engaged, then, well, I’m going to need to meet him, like, um, on the first day of school! Yikes!”
We all chuckled and the conversation turned to other menial things that eighteen year old girls talk about. But my new revelation stuck with me all day. I had had one boyfriend briefly in high school, but no suitors otherwise knocking down my door. Therefore, how in the world would it be possible to meet the man of my dreams on the first day of college?
The summer quickly passed, and as I packed my bags and loaded my car, I resolved to entertain any dates offered to me once I got to school. Pimple-faced, sweaty-shirt, tuba player? Sure. Grease-ball, cologned-up lady playa? Why not? I was truly open to try anything once. How was I to know what form Prince Charming would come in? My only requirements were that he was male and loved God.
On the first day of band camp my mind was trying to focus on music and drill, but my eyes were wandering. That guy was obnoxious, this guy was too loud. That guy swears too much, this guy plays the flute. So much for being "open-minded." And that was all in the first five minutes.
Then I spotted him.
Standing on the sidelines, he looked ridiculous in the million degree weather. He wore a black t-shirt, long jeans, and a baseball cap. I wondered why he wasn’t on the field with the rest of the band, and it occurred to me that if he would have dressed more appropriately, he wouldn’t be so sweaty and tired. Too tired, in fact, to carry his snare drum and actually participate in rehearsal.
Looking beaten down and somewhat pathetic I thought, “I bet he doesn’t have a girlfriend. He’d probably be desperate enough to date me.”
Hours of marching under the scorching sun turned into days, and during some free time, I did my best to try to get to know "Sideline Guy" (who was always with "Obnoxious Guy" and "Swears-A-Lot Guy"). It was then that I learned their names, our shared career goals, and all of our mutual classes. "Sideline Guy" also told me about his life-threatening medical condition and his girlfriend.
His girlfriend?!
His four-year-future-wife-SERIOUS girlfried.
To make things worse, she was smokin' hot, too.
Oh man, I was sooo off on that one. I was so deflated. I thought I had handpicked the most desperate guy with the lowest expectations in the entire marching band. Back to square one I went. In my mind, literally every guy I came in contact with was a potential boyfriend.
And in the mean time, "Sideline Guy" became known as Herb and we became friends.
Read on.... Chapter 2
Obviously, the fulfilled hope is Levi...but that's not all!!!
In the next few weeks I am going to take some time to tell you the LONG version of another great story. And I'm going to go all "Pioneer Woman Style" and give you several chapters. I am rehashing some things that I wrote last summer on another blog, so sorry for any overlapping.
Yup, it's going to be sappy. I can't help it, the big oh-five anniversary is coming up, and this is my commemoration.
************
Chapter 1: Sideline Guy
The Juliana Theory was blasting from the car stereo as the three amigos drove North. Diplomas fresh in our hands and college on the horizon, Steph, Ashley, and I took a day to celebrate at a local amusement park.
During the early morning drive, our conversation bounced from graduation parties to college plans, and of course ended up on the topic of boys and even marriage. Steph had already found the love of her life and knew what they had was very special, so that left Ashley and I to talk about our dream dudes, and our hopes to meet them someday soon. In the back of my mind, I knew Ashley, the brilliant student and beautiful cheerleader, would have no trouble finding “Mr. Right.” Overweight and painfully band-nerdy, my prospects were not so bright.
It was in that car ride that I first realized I would need to be meeting him soon.
I thought that getting married young, but then waiting years for children would be a perfectly romantic situation. Hopeful, but embarassed, I shared with my pals,
“Wow - I never thought about this, but if I want to get married right after college, be engaged for about a year, and date for at least a year before I get engaged, then, well, I’m going to need to meet him, like, um, on the first day of school! Yikes!”
We all chuckled and the conversation turned to other menial things that eighteen year old girls talk about. But my new revelation stuck with me all day. I had had one boyfriend briefly in high school, but no suitors otherwise knocking down my door. Therefore, how in the world would it be possible to meet the man of my dreams on the first day of college?
The summer quickly passed, and as I packed my bags and loaded my car, I resolved to entertain any dates offered to me once I got to school. Pimple-faced, sweaty-shirt, tuba player? Sure. Grease-ball, cologned-up lady playa? Why not? I was truly open to try anything once. How was I to know what form Prince Charming would come in? My only requirements were that he was male and loved God.
On the first day of band camp my mind was trying to focus on music and drill, but my eyes were wandering. That guy was obnoxious, this guy was too loud. That guy swears too much, this guy plays the flute. So much for being "open-minded." And that was all in the first five minutes.
Then I spotted him.
Standing on the sidelines, he looked ridiculous in the million degree weather. He wore a black t-shirt, long jeans, and a baseball cap. I wondered why he wasn’t on the field with the rest of the band, and it occurred to me that if he would have dressed more appropriately, he wouldn’t be so sweaty and tired. Too tired, in fact, to carry his snare drum and actually participate in rehearsal.
Looking beaten down and somewhat pathetic I thought, “I bet he doesn’t have a girlfriend. He’d probably be desperate enough to date me.”
Hours of marching under the scorching sun turned into days, and during some free time, I did my best to try to get to know "Sideline Guy" (who was always with "Obnoxious Guy" and "Swears-A-Lot Guy"). It was then that I learned their names, our shared career goals, and all of our mutual classes. "Sideline Guy" also told me about his life-threatening medical condition and his girlfriend.
His girlfriend?!
His four-year-future-wife-SERIOUS girlfried.
To make things worse, she was smokin' hot, too.
Oh man, I was sooo off on that one. I was so deflated. I thought I had handpicked the most desperate guy with the lowest expectations in the entire marching band. Back to square one I went. In my mind, literally every guy I came in contact with was a potential boyfriend.
And in the mean time, "Sideline Guy" became known as Herb and we became friends.
Read on.... Chapter 2
Can't wait for chapter 2!!!
ReplyDeletelove to hear the beautiful stories that God writes... He's such a romantic ;-)
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