So, in the past few weeks I have really been struggling with the concept of friendship and what it means. Contrary to what some might think, I am a fiercely loyal friend, and it takes some time for me to adjust to the realities of time and distance. However, I have seen the entire spectrum of friendship recently and am left wondering what it means.
I have realized that old and dear friends never really liked me, and seen former friends reach out a hand of encouragement. I have seen the deterioration of strong bonds and seen others hold against all odds. For many friends, old and new, I have seen that the intensity of my personality has been too much. At the same time, for others, I have had them tell me it is what they like most about me. I have had some of the strongest encouragement and some of the deepest hurts, all in the same period of time. I am confused, befuddled, questioning.
Is my perception so poor that I can not tell who will like me and who will not, or has liked me and who has not? How can one person draw the sneer from one person and the genuine affection of another...with the same actions? I want to know your thoughts on friendship. Though I almost never get a response or comment on my blog, I would love one now. Enlighten me! I want to know.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Thanks, Mom!
My mother-in-law saw the typo in yesterday's post, which I have now fixed. I asked Cathy to marry me June 19th, 1991 (not 1992 as previously stated). Thanks for catching that!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Part LXIII
June 19th of 1991 was going to turn out to be an eventful day, but it all started on June 18th. Although we had discussed marriage a number of times already, Cathy and I had only been dating a short time. In fact, that Wednesday the 19th would make it five months. So, I planned to take her out for dinner. Walking through a local mall, I stopped into a jewelry store and saw a ring I wanted and I decided to buy it, but it was $3500 and I could not qualify for the loan. Choosing instead a crappier version with a minuscule diamond for $1600, I bought the ring set and carried it around in my pocket all day. That night, I informed Cathy that I wanted to ask her to marry me (after all I had a job now) but that I could not qualify for the ring. She cried and cried, all the while I had the ring in my pocket. A plan began to form.
Later that night or early the next morning, I put the plan in motion. I asked my friends, Paul and Steve, to lend me a hand and set up my elaborate scheme. Cathy was not surprised that I asked her for a special date for our "5 month Luniversary." She wasn't surprised because I was kind of goofy like that...I still am. She got all dressed up in her finest clothes so I could take her to a nice restaurant in Santa Cruz. Instead of taking the freeway, I decided to take a back route which went through the hills and I always enjoyed driving. I stopped at a reservoir I liked and told her I wanted to get out. There was an island in the middle of the reservoir, but since California was in one of its many droughts, there was a small muddy path which lead out onto the isle. Cathy was not thrilled with me when I suggested that we go for a walk. There was a lot of mud and she was wearing nice shoes and hose.
Somehow I convinced her that there was a sight she needed to see and we got to the dry ground on the isle and a path that went straight over the two hills which comprised the little isle. As we came over the top of the hill, in a clearing in the wood, there was a white-tablecloth table for two. It was set up for dinner and had a small vase with a sunflower in it (both of us were very fond of sunflowers). Cathy forgot how annoyed she was about the walk as she sat across from me. She was a little stunned when Steve came out from behind a bush as our server (Paul was back behind a bush somewhere playing a CD and preparing the meal or something). We had strawberries and a cold pesto tortellini which we loved. Cathy was having a great time (it seemed so anyway) and we had finished, so I asked Steve to bring dessert. When he came back with a tray covered in a white napkin (as he had with every other dish), she thought it was just another part of the meal. When he pulled the napkin off to reveal the ring and I asked her to marry me, she went crazy.
So that is how we got engaged, this beautiful woman who I do not deserve said yes. We told her mom who said she expected it, and jumped into planning a wedding. But, that will take its own post. Maybe next week!
Later that night or early the next morning, I put the plan in motion. I asked my friends, Paul and Steve, to lend me a hand and set up my elaborate scheme. Cathy was not surprised that I asked her for a special date for our "5 month Luniversary." She wasn't surprised because I was kind of goofy like that...I still am. She got all dressed up in her finest clothes so I could take her to a nice restaurant in Santa Cruz. Instead of taking the freeway, I decided to take a back route which went through the hills and I always enjoyed driving. I stopped at a reservoir I liked and told her I wanted to get out. There was an island in the middle of the reservoir, but since California was in one of its many droughts, there was a small muddy path which lead out onto the isle. Cathy was not thrilled with me when I suggested that we go for a walk. There was a lot of mud and she was wearing nice shoes and hose.
Somehow I convinced her that there was a sight she needed to see and we got to the dry ground on the isle and a path that went straight over the two hills which comprised the little isle. As we came over the top of the hill, in a clearing in the wood, there was a white-tablecloth table for two. It was set up for dinner and had a small vase with a sunflower in it (both of us were very fond of sunflowers). Cathy forgot how annoyed she was about the walk as she sat across from me. She was a little stunned when Steve came out from behind a bush as our server (Paul was back behind a bush somewhere playing a CD and preparing the meal or something). We had strawberries and a cold pesto tortellini which we loved. Cathy was having a great time (it seemed so anyway) and we had finished, so I asked Steve to bring dessert. When he came back with a tray covered in a white napkin (as he had with every other dish), she thought it was just another part of the meal. When he pulled the napkin off to reveal the ring and I asked her to marry me, she went crazy.
So that is how we got engaged, this beautiful woman who I do not deserve said yes. We told her mom who said she expected it, and jumped into planning a wedding. But, that will take its own post. Maybe next week!
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