I was new to the world of dating, fresh out of high school and in a brand new area. I didn't date much in high school; my reasoning for this was simple: boys in high school where stupid and they didn't have the brains to ask me out. Thruthfully, I didn't really care to take, but now I was in college and life was just starting. I told myself that if I ever wanted to marry Prince Charming I'd better start dating. Boys would ask me out and I go on one or two dates with them but when they asked for a commitment or "to go steady" I'd freak out. This was where I realized that some girls where not meant to date a lot, so I turned my focus to school. Like most girls do at some point in their life, I decided to boycott boys.
This is where the story begins.
It was a calm, crisp October night, the air smelt like a new beginning. I had been working on a paper for my English class that happened to be due the next day and I still had a long way to go before it would be complete. Thanks to my roommate, a group of friends were going to be coming over to our apartment to play Nintendo and introduce James (the recently returned missionary) to my roommate and me. Stressed by time, I knew that I wouldn't be able to finish my paper while everyone was playing at my apartment, so I decided to go finish my paper at the library before anyone came over.
As I gathered my papers and books together my roommate, Mackennzie tried to convince me to stay just for a little while so I could meet his mysterious handsome returned missionary. I laughed for about three seconds and than told Mackennzie "I don't want to date anyone I just want to focus on school." I left my apartment at a quarter past seven; no one had arrived yet, so things were looking good. At the libary I sat down at the computer pulled out a few books from my handed down backpack and began to search for my floppy disc. I started to panic; first I emptied out little front pocket where I usually kept my floppy disc-it was not there. Then I emptied out all of my other pockets and still no floppy disk. The floppy disk was missing- this was bad news. I would have to go back home and find my disk. I took the five minute drive back home to my apartment hopping no one would be there yet, but to no luck: everyone was there.
The room went blurry as if unreal, I said hello to my friends and quickly escaped to my room to look for the floppy disk. With only taking a few steps into my room I spotted the disk lying on the floor next to my bed. I must have dropped it while putting my books into my backpack earlier. I grabbed the floppy disk and headed back out into the living room, eyes fixed on the front door to make a fast exit. As I approached the door, time slowed down, motions moved smoothly and gracefully as if I was in a perfect state of being. In this moment of surrealism, without control I slowly turned my body to face the corn walls where James was sitting. This was the first time I had noticed him.
A gray knit beanie sat on top of his head. His eyes glowed like the blue sky on a summer's day; his lips where color of watermelon and make my lips tingle just looking at them. Hi had strong broad shoulders, his clothes were nertral, no name brands, yet very well kept. And last I saw his shoes; the trade make of his personality: Converse that had been worn though yet looked young and full of fond past memories of times spent with friends and family. Who was this mysterious man I so surprisingly stubbled upon? Introductions were made and James stood up to shake my hand.
As Jame stood up reality came crashing in and disrupted my one and only moment of perfect bliss. His stature reached about five food seven inches, he was still three inches taller then me but for some reason I automatically said to myself "Oh he's short, never mind." I politely excused myself and went back to the library to finish my paper.
I thought only of this experience for a moment and then concluded that is was bazaar.
Weeks past, I saw James again and again in other group settings with friend: salsa dancing, game night, his missionary homecoming talk and the Halloween ward party. I found myself thinking of him constantly and could not stand it. Why was I so besotted by this man? I needed to find out.
My group of friends decided to get together and watch a movie for a Family Home Evening activity. I was the only one in my group of friends attending school at the time and I really needed to go home and work on some homework. James offered to drive me home. In the car together we made small talk. When we got to my apartment he offered to walk me to my door. I politely accepted. This surprised me because, in reality, I probably would have declined the offer from anyone else. This is not the only thing that was weird; as we walked to my apartment door I yearned to hold his hand. When we got to the door he asked if I wanted to grab my backpack and do homework while we watched the movie with the group. I knew in actuality that I would not be able to do my homework but I said yes. I grabbed my backpack and together we walked back to his car. The path back to his car was dark and narrow. Jokingly I pretended I was scared: "I'm scared, what if a monster jumped out and kidnapped me right his minute?"
"I'll protect you." James said joking right back with me. Without hesitation I grabbed onto his hand. My thumb and pointer finger where wrapped around his thumb, my index finger and ring finger where squished together in between his pointer and index fingers, and lastly my pinky sat in between his middle finger and ring finger leaving his pinky all alone. Did I mention I was new at the dating thing? IT WAS AWKWARD. I started to panic, what was I doing grabbing his hand? We where just being silly not serious. What was James thinking? I let go quickly. "Stupid, stupid, stupid." I said to myself. James gave a sigh when I let go. What does that mean? I thought to myself. I tried not to think about it. I just grabbed his hand again, this time the right way. "It this okay?" I asked. Not waiting for a response I said it two more times, "Is this okay? Is this okay?" Finally I let myself hear what he had been saying over and over again. "yes." My heart started beating so fast I thought I was going to faint, I pulled my hand away from his once again. James started to laugh to himself and we pretended nothing had happened.
When the movie was over I went home with my roommate. Ashley, a girl in the group who had a crush on James as well, came back to our apartment to talk with Mackenzie. In Mackenzie's bedroom I over heard Ashly crying and talking to Mackenzie about how angry she was at me for taking all of James' attention. "This is ridiculous," I said to myself. "Look at the drama. I just wanted to focus on school and now Ashley's mad at me." I didn't have a cell phone and I needed to call James. I knocked on Mackenzie's door and lied " Mackenzie, can I barrow your cell phone for a minute I need to call my sister."
"It's twelve o' clock at night" Mackenzie responded. Than she realized what I ment and she handed me the phone. I went outside so that Ashley wouldn't hear my conversation and I called James. The phone rang once, and then again: "Oh nw what if he is already in bed?" The phone rang a third time and James answered. "Hello" James said, sounding confused by the phone call. "Hi James, this is Elizabeth, I just wanted to apologize for earlier this evening." "Oh," James responded and after a pause "That's okay". "Okay, I said back, "I just wanted to let you know. Goodnight." "Goodnight," James repeated. I hung up the phone. What was I thinking, this was stupid, I wanted to hold his hand, I wasn't sorry. "Don't think, just do" I said to myself. I called James up again. This time he answered right away. "Hello," he said "Hi James, this is Elizabeth again." as if he didn't know that already, who else would call him at midnight just to apologize? "How are you doing Elizabeth?" James politely asked. "James, I wanted to tell you something and I don't want you to interrupt me until I'm done. Is that Okay" I asked. Yay that's fine," James responded. "James, I think I like you a lot. What do you think." James was silent as if waiting for me to continue, and he eventually responded, "Well, I think the feeling is mutual." "Really?" I asked. "Yeah, really," James said. "Cool, well, goodnight than," I said. "Goodnight Elizabeth" James said. And we hung up the phone once again.
Within a week after that phone call, James and I became officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Things went smoothly and within a year the two of us where married in the Portland Oregon Temple and sealed together for time and all eternity. To this day James and I are happily married and enjoying the thrills of life. How we ever made it through the stupidity of infatuation I will never know. But then again, I wouldn't want it to be any other way. Truly in a very uniquie way, James took my by surprised and swept me off my feet. Marring a guy five feet seven inches has been one of the best things I've ever done in my entire life.
A Response to: "Prince Charmimg, Huh?
I wrote this story for my English class at BYU-H. This is the response I added to the end of this story.
I wrote this story for two reasons: first, for the fun of writing a story about me. I believed that, by writing about myself, my story could be felt by the reader. Secondly, I wanted to show my husband how much I love him. We have a unique relationship that is humorous and, some times, very strange when looked at from an outsider's perspective. I think it is important to know that he was my first boyfriend and I was his first girlfriend. I wanted to give the reader an inside look at the foundation of our relationship. I wanted the story to be real, with no exaggerations, but filled with imagery. Although there is much much more to the story and some very personaly experiences I don't feel to share, I believe this story captures the feelings and impressions that where made the first few days of dating.
I begin this story by giving some valuable background information. "My dream man..." is a concept I described in my short story and I think the majority of girls, at some point in their life, have listed the characteristics they want in this ideal man. Is it realistic to find a man with every characteristic that you have imagined? I disagree and this story explains why I believe this. I believe my husband, James, is everything I have always wanted but never knew I needed.
The story about meeting James begins with an ironic twist because I had decide to "boycott boys". Have you ever heard the saying, "You'll fall in love when you least expect it." I think that is true.
A piece of information I felt inclined to leave in the story is the mentioning of my "handed-down backpack". Since the seventh grademy luck with backpacks has been unenviable. I would save my money and buy a new backpack for the beginning of the new school year and my bag would brake a month or two into the school year. I would than rely on whatever backpack I could find from siblings or friends. This happened to me every year for three years, and then I decided to give up on buying new bags. I just dealt with what I had. When i married James, his bag slowly became mine and since than I have not yet bought I anew backpack for myself. (Since we've been married for five years and his old backpack is turn to pieces I hope in the near future I can purchase a new backpack.)
What I would consider as being the most important part of the story is when I described the first time I saw James. I don't recall who did the introductions or what all was said but I remember having enough time to intensely scan him up and down. At the time I had no idea what converse where but his shoes stood out to me very distinctly. Honestly they were the oldest, well kept worn out shoes I have ever seen. Last year, with pressure from me, James throw away his pair of converse and shortly before moving to Hawaii, we bought him a new pair of worn out converse. They are truly his personality.
The second most important part of the story, in my opinion is when I say to myself "don't think, just do". I am a very traditional girl and I remember having a list of protocols for what I consider to be the proper way to date. I was determined to not ask a guy out first, but to have him ask me. I wasn't going to call a guy unless he called me first or until we came serious. Every thing I said I wouldn't do, I did. I found myself saying in many siturations, while dating James, don't think, just do it Elizabeth. I cam out of my shell and became soemthing new, all because of James.
Lastly, I think the impact of the story to the reader is the ending. "Marring a guy five feet seven inches has been one of best things I have ever done in my entire life." Overall I wanted the reader to fee or relate to the feeling of being happy with the choices they make.
June 6, 2007
