I am writing this on Wednesday because I am sitting at work with little...okay nothing to do. My company laid two people off last week and I feel like my future here is uncertain. Depressing start to a post isn't it? Well, it's all I have. Ready for some more? The shot I had for my back several weeks ago has not helped. I have no idea what this means for me - I am scared that it means that this pain is now part of my life for good. Does that mean I won't get to go golfing with my husband again or ride a rollercoaster? Does it mean if I have kids I wont be able to pick them up? I know there is a whole court thing to go through as well and I dread it because I don't want money - I want my life back. If I wasn't at work I think I would be sobbing onto my keyboard right now. Thank goodness I am at work. Okay this is sooo not what this post is about! But I guess it is about sharing a bit of myself with you so thanks if you haven't jumped ship and headed to a happier post.
So, this Thursday Thirteen is Thirteen Things I remember vividly. These are happy moments, sad times, things many people remember and some things I might not have ever even said aloud (and I am still not - typing is so much safer). Moments in my life that I remember perfectly, devoid of blurs and missing parts. They are times that when I close my eyes I can still feel the heartache, the laughter, the smiles or the tears as they ran down my cheeks. It took me less than 5 minutes to make the list as I sat and closed my eyes for a second; these memories flashed through my mind. Hope you enjoy the list and the peak into a little bit of my heart and soul.
1. September 11, 2001
There is a different generation than mine that can all tell you where they were the day Kennedy was assasinated. For my generation we have this date: September 11, 2001. This is what brought on this post today - because today is the 7 year anniversary of that awful day. But I can close my eyes and remember everything about that day as if it happened just a day ago. As if the news is still showing the buildings collapsing and people covered in ash. I was sitting in my Political Science class, it was my Freshman year in college, I was next to my friend Joey ready for class to start. Then I heard the guy next to me talking loudly about the plane crashing into the World Trade Center two minutes later my professor came in and had more details. Halfway through the class someone knocked on the door and asked for a student. This student was in the military. I rushed to a friends dorm after class and they all were sitting in front of the TV too. I remember crying as we watched the news coverage. Going back to my apartment later and watching more coverage with tears in my eyes. I remember walking across campus to the Libary Lawn for a candelight vigil. I will never forget that day.
2. April 19, 1995
This is another day that I won't forget. It's the day of the Oklahoma City Bombing. You might not know this about me but I grew up in Oklahoma not too far from Oklahoma City. I was in 6th grade and a teacher rushed into our classroom and told my teacher Mrs. Anderson to turn on the news. We began watching as my teacher picked up her phone and ran out of the room, her daughter worked downtown in OKC. She was fine. But I remember the fear that day and the awe of being a child and seeing something so overwhelming. I might forget that classroom and those kids, the chalkboards, the Camelot play we did where I was the Lady of the Lake but the memory of the bombing won't fade.
3. The night I met my husband
Ready for a happier memory? I would think so. I remember the night I met my husband so clearly that I can transport myself back there so easily it is like my secret daydream I can pull out whenever I want. The funny thing about it is that we really shouldn't have met - but fate was on our side. I was at an overnight event for my sorority - We had rented this building out for this all out Girls Bash, the next morning we were supposed to drive to the city and participate in Race for the Cure. At the last minute about ten of our girls had conflicts and emergencies and had to bail. This left 3 of us who were supposed to participate in the event. The evening was fun but in the end 5 more people said that they hadnt plan to stay the whole night. This left about 4 of us who were going to. Long story short it was a bummer night for the planning committee of the event and when one more person bailed on the Race for the Cure that fell apart as well. (This all led to a little speech about commitments etc. at the next chapter meeting....via the president..aka Moi) We cleaned up the part of the party that did happen and headed home a little after midnight. On my drive home I called my best friend to see what she was up to and she was at a local hangout and she insisted I join her. I wasn't an easy sell but after several minutes I agreed to go home and change and meet her there. I threw on this black top and put my crazy Pajama Party hair into a pony tail. I met up with our little group and had fun visiting with everyone until....I noticed this guy looking over at our table. I caught his eye once or twice and smiled but didn't think too much of it. He then waved at a good friend of mine and she went over to talk to him. I saw him look at me and then ask her a question or something and a few minutes after she came back he came over to say hello. Ummm.. .You had me at Hello? hee hee She introduced us and we chatted for a minute and he then went back to his group. I caught his eyes a few more times before we left. I felt a little butterfly. And that was the night I met my husband. Several weeks later we ran into each other accidentally again and he called soon after. The rest is history. His side of the story? He wasn't supposed to be there either - at the last minute decided to join his friends as well. Funny huh? I still wear that shirt sometimes (4 years old but still sooo cute!) and remember that night.
4. The last day of High School
Not everyone had a great high school experience but I have to say that mine was pretty good although I look back at photos with total horror. I was involved in a lot of things in school from being the mascot (for a short time) and the yearbook editor but my favorite thing that I did was Drama. I remember the last day of school during my 6th period class. We were all standing around chatting and saying our good byes, talking about the future, planning summer trips and I remember walking up the steps to the stage for one last time. I was planning to major in Theatre at school in the Fall but I had to stand on that stage one last time and feel that rush and that energy that you only get from performance art. I remember sitting Upstage and taking it all in one last time.
The day I married my best friend. I remember every detail of that day. The perfect weather (minus the wind that had my veil flying everywhere) and the smiles on people's faces, the willingness of everyone to help out with any little detail. My best friends all in Florida with me, my family was there as we took pictures on the beach. My Mom fixing my hair (she's a beautician)...I just remember everything about the day. Standing inside waiting for the signal to come outside and have my Dad walk me down the sandy aisle. Meeting Kyle's eyes as I walked towards him....everything was so beautiful and perfect. I plan to freeze that memory forever.6. My worst day at camp
During college I worked at a summer camp for two summers. It was totally not ME - it was the opposite of me but then it was ME. It was pudding fights, teaching sailing, hiking mountains, canoing, bugs, sweating, outside nature stuff nonstop. This is the opposite of me. It took two weeks of mocking before I stopped wearing makeup. It was one of the best things I have ever done. But there was this one day. I was the leader of the 7-9 year old cabins and a counselor for one of the cabins with 14 little girls. It was our day for going to Devil's Island. We took a pontoon boat trip to the island and hiked to the top for an amazing view. On the way up I was leading and had a single file trail of girls and two junior counselors with me. Suddenly I noticed a mouse about a foot in front of me. As I opened my mouth to tell the girls about the mouse I noticed another animal friend nearby. A 3 to 4 foot rattlesnake in striking position about 2 feet in front of me. Thankfully its eyes were on the mouse not me. I have never been more terrified as the possibly outcomes flashed through my head - getting bitten and them not being able to get me back down the trail, worse - it biting one of the girls and we were a long way from camp - almost at the top of the peak. I turned around quickly and shouted some gibberish about the wrong way and got the entire line to turn back and reroute without knowing why. Once we were safe (I am sure the same cannot be said for the mouse) I grabbed one of the other counselors and told them what happened. We were not really content until we had all the girls (totally oblivious) back on the boat. No my friends..that is not all. Once we had a quick swim and were on the boat pushing off the rocks the next disaster struck. I was pushing the boat out from the rocks and doing that ancient practice of hopping onto some thing you just pushed away from you (you know what I mean!) amd I slipped on my way and sliced my leg on a rock. BAD. It was not pretty and it was bleeding pretty good. The girls were distracted and did not see and to savc frightening them the other counselor got me something to hold onto the cut until we had got back to camp. It was awful. Later that day I was on the blog tower ( its like a tall diving board into the lake except that there is no board and you jump on this giant inflated tube that bounces you into the lake - it's about ten feet off of the dock) and I was stung by a wasp and had to jump off the tower into the lake to get away from the angry wasp. I can still see that snake (total body shudder). Ahhhh...the delights of summer camp. Most people who know me cannot even picture me in any of those situations.7. That one Thursday night...
I was blessed in high school with some amazing friends. We met our sophomore year and are still the best of friends today. We hung out all the time after school and in the summers and at some point in high school we all read Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. We always remember this night as a Thursday for some reason and refer to it that way. A few of us planned the get together to hang out at Pam's house and we got that fancy sparkling grape juice (we were good gals) and we had a little speech and glasses to toast and that song Count on Me from Waiting to Exhale and we toasted our friendship and talked about how we knew we would always love and care about each other and we would remain friends no matter where life took each of us. That was such a cool night and so girly....just writing about it makes me miss those gals and wish we could relive just a little bit of that now. Love you girlies!!!
8. My first kiss with my first crush
Well, you knew there had to be a few of these stories too. Kyle, if you are reading (my hubby always follows my blog) you might want to skip the next two! I was head over heels for my brother's best friend when I was 14. He was 17 and I lived purely in the dream world concerning him. We always talked and had fun when he was at our house but it was not a realistic thought that anything would happen. Oh but I had crazy butterflies for that boy and of course everyone knew and teased me constantly. And then one day he and my brother were at the house getting ready to go to work and my brother went to take a shower. I walked into my room to get something and he followed me and before I knew it he kissed me! He wasn't the best kisser - lets be honest here - but Oh My gosh did I lose my mind over him after that. It wasn't my first kiss but I wish it had been because it was one of those princess in the castle tower prince charming dreams come true kind of kisses. (sigh) I have the overwhelming 14 year old like need to giggle now after telling that.
9. The second time my heart was broken
I remember this heart break because it wasn't the first time this same person had broke it. I had dated this guy for several months the year before and it had ended and I just hadn't moved on - it wasn't long before I jumped in and got burned again. So here is my memory: I hadn't heard from him (it was a semi long distance thing) in a week or so and had called the night before. He was pulling away but I was so intent on working things out that I couldn't see that there was nothing worth saving (know what I mean?). So I am at work (my design internship before my senior year) and I notice that I missed a call from him. I am so anxious that I go ahead and listen to it even though I typically didn't use my cell phone at work. I remember the cold office and my desk looking out the windows of the glass building, the hot summer day outside and his voice telling me that he had to focus on other things and didn't want to be in a relationship. I felt the hot tears on my cheeks, wiped them and then lost control. I held back what I could as I told one of the designers that I had to go home. She had my purse and had me out the door before I even got it explained. Women just know don't they? When I got in the car I lost it - and then I cried and drove all the way home listening to the message a few more times. When I walked in the door my Mom was there and well...those Women..they just know! After a little while I sucked it up and went back to work after I had regained some composure. Gosh that was an awful day.
10. The night we jumped the median
Hee Hee this is a great one! Heather and I went to a play at the Performing Arts Center (we went a lot b/c our Drama class required it and we loved it) a fellow student of ours was in the play and we were all set to enjoy it but - it was awful! We snuck out with muffled giggles and decided to bury our Theatrical woes in some pasta at our then fave - Olive Garden. I guess this is just a girl thing and a giggly thing but something happened while we were waiting for our food that got us laughing and then some ridiculously hilarious italian song came on over the speakers in the restaurant and someone had them turned on too loud and we were laughing so hard about it that ten minutes after we got our food our waiter came back and we still hadn't been able to stifle the laughter enough to eat our food. We have talked for years about that moment and other funny things that happened. I just remember the smell of pasta, the hilarious song and the worst laughing tummy ache I have ever had. Oh yeah, and then on the way home I took the wrong exit and wanted to back out to get back on the interstate. Heather refused to allow backing up on the interstate so...we jumped the median! Even now whenever I drive by it (and I always look and remember that night) it never seems as steep and crazy as it did then. The giggles never ended!
11. The day my best friend got married
I remember the day my best friend got married. I couldn't believe one of us was getting married. I was the maid of honor and she had picked out the cutest dresses! I felt beautiful. Our friendship had had some rocky points that year but that day I was so proud to stand up with her and watch her marry the love of her life and was so grateful for our friendship and the life journeys we had been through together. It was a really beautiful and sweet day and it is a precious memory of mine.
12. Making friends with one of my best friends
When I switched from Theatre to Interior Design for a major in college - my whole world changed. Everything I had learned and gotten use to in college was suddenly different. My roommate had to leave for the semester so I was living alone. I walked into my first Drafting class and sat down. I sat next to the girl who would be one of my best friends. We started off with very interesting opinions of each other. I dressed up for class and she thought I was a wee bit snooty (we found this all out later) and I thought she was shy and quiet and wondered why I hadn't sat at the loud table across the room. A few weeks later we ended up talking more and working in the studio into all hours of the night together. We found out we were in one of the same Leadership Organizations on campus and our outlook for friendship looked good. But there was one day that we became friends and I don't mean to toot my own horn here but somehow it just clicked and we have been friends ever since. We had a project that we were working on the night before and she messed up her mylar that she was supposed to transfer her drafted plan to in ink. It was late and no stores were open to get a new piece. Her class schedule wouldn't allow her to finish the project before it was due in class the next day so, I gave her my piece that I was planning to transfer onto that night because I had a free schedule the next day before our class and could go get a new sheet I would just have to get up before my typical time. I remember her face when I suggested this: Total disbelief and then the sincerest thank you and that was how we became friends. I love that that memory stays with me.
13. Falling into the Orchestra Pit in High School
This little memory might give you a bit of a chuckle. I have no idea why this one has stuck around in my head. I would have hoped the embarassment alone would have created a mental block. I guess it is just too funny and what makes it great is that my memory of it is still in slow motion the way I remember it happening.
As you now know, I was in Drama in HS and in most auditoriums there is the stage and the the Orchestra pit and then the seating. The Orchestra pit was a typical place for us to hang out during class as the Auditorium was our classroom and thus a couch had been placed down there at some point. I remember my great friend Kevin sitting on the couch in the pit and most everyone else was off doing something or preoccupied in conversation (what I mean is that no one really saw this happen besides Kevin). I was leaning over the wall on the audience side of the pit and doing some ridiculous thing when suddenly I lost my footing and flipped over the edge. This is my slow motion memory. I remember falling the 6 or 7 feet into the pit it felt like it happened slowly and I could feel myself falling and I look at the ground and see it coming and see my body flying over the edge and I see Kevin sitting on the couch watching me as I fall past him into a heap on the floor beside him. The pain, the hysterical laughter, his face, the horror...all emotions are still totally intact in my precious little memory. Classic Leslie. Now who has done that?
By the way, I hurt my leg really bad - it swelled up like a grape fruit on one side, it was still there a month or so later when I finally fessed up to my drama teacher when we were laughing about the incident.
If you made it through all 13 of those memories than I am ever so happy! If you didn't I totally understand...I can be really long winded. But I had so much fun reminscing and even jogging up details that I had forgotten. Have a great Thursday!
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