Reminisce

I love to reminisce.  I like to sit around with my brothers and talk and laugh about our childhoods.  I like to reminisce about my wedding, and remember the feeling I had or how gorgeous the beach was that day.  I just like to remember the good things in my life.  Today, I’m taking a look back again. 

On this date, five years ago, I went on a first date.  The last first date I’d ever go on.  If you had asked me that day where I saw myself in five years, I might have wondered about where I’d live and what I’d be doing for a living.  I never would have imagined that I would be married to the guy I was on the date with, and that we’d have a precious baby girl.  God knew what he was doing that day, even if I didn’t. 

I knew it was different from that first date, though.  In the past, my first dates had all pretty much been the typical dinner and a movie.  I’m not knocking them, there’s nothing wrong with that.  But, this one stood out, because he had put way more thought into than anyone had ever done for me before.  He told me to wear jeans, and closed toed shoes.  That’s all he’d tell me.  So, when the time we’d agreed on came, I was sitting on my couch wearing jeans, a tank top, and tennis shoes.  I looked out the window when I heard his truck pull up.  He paused before he got out, and headed up the stairs to my apartment.  I would later find out that he was pausing to swig some Listerine.  When I answered the door, he was looking handsome as usual, and holding a vase with a single flower.  I kept that flower for months, on the dash of my car. 

First, he took me horseback riding.  I’ve always loved horses.  I owned one at the time, but it was back home and I was away at college.  I was riding a sweet old horse named B.J, and he was on a spirited (and poorly trained) horse named Chico.  I had actually forgotten their names for awhile, but it came back to me this morning.  We had a great time riding out by the lake, and talking, and yodeling.  Okay, it was me who did the yodeling.  I’m still not sure what possessed me to do that on a first date, but obviously it worked out in my favor.  When we left there, he took me to Texas Roadhouse.  He sure knew the way to my heart; horses and a steak dinner.  Since it was the weekend before the 4^th of July, there were fireworks stands everywhere, so we decided to stop and get some.  We drove to the outskirts of town on a quiet road, and shot them off and then sat on the tailgate and talked and talked.  The lightning bugs were out, and the fireworks had really thrown them off, because they were really sporadic and spastic after that.  Then, when he took me home, he high-fived me.  He was so smooth, even back then.  I realized he was a little nervous, so I made fun of him, and made him give me a hug. 

It was a great date, with a great guy.  And now, five years later, he’s just as much fun as he was then.