For better or worse, I find ‘innocence’ to be exceptionally endearing. Except when it’s me that’s naive, then I just feel off-guard and foolish. Much like the past week. Walking into such events is always leaves me a bit wiser though, and worst-case, I come out with some fun stories to tell. At this point, I’m just at the first half though…
I don’t know what happened, really. To be fair, it’s still happening, so I’ll opt to tread lightly. But it all started a week ago today (last monday). It was my first real week in Columbus after a year-long series of work-weeks (and sometimes weekends) that took me abroad for days or weeks at a time. I was excited. With the Relationship stuff taken off the front burner to simmer for a while, I figured I’d just chill a bit, relax, and get some fun and interesting work done. But alas, that simply wasn’t meant to be.
To celebrate my first unadulterated monday in town, I decided to go to FHE and see who was there. I completely spaced the event (clothes donations), so I came woefully unprepared for the event. As such, I decided upon the next best course of action: Talk to JT from The Other Ward, since he was right there, and we share common interests. I always learn a bit from such events, and thus I was obliged.
At the time, he was likely discussing some no-doubt heroic product repair from apple, or possibly a slightly less heroic cellphone destruction. Either way, I don’t know, because as soon as I was noticed, he turned his attention from his young-lady couchmate to me. We chatted, and that was that.
Eventually, the couchmate left, and I took her seat. He gave a brief overview of GarageBand, a music program that I’ve started possibly two (2) times in my life. He’s far more talented at it than I, and while it was interesting, it’s not particularly applicable to what I do. Nevertheless, it involved his iTunes playlist, and at that I was mesmerized. There’s always something new and good to hear from his seemingly endless playlists. Years of DJ work will do that to you I suppose.
After a while, The Statistician and The Red Head showed up, and chatted a bit about their recently-completed half-marathon. Fun stories, and funny immobility from such strenuous efforts. I can’t tell if they’re there because of Justin (even with his laptop), or me (who typically scares people away simply because he owns one), but I assume the former because he’s just charismatic like that. (and yes, you astute readers, I just revealed the identity of JT. Intentional) Most likely, it was just a coincidental gathering.
Refreshments stroll by, and I snag a water. The refreshment-bringer, The Red Head, and The Statistician depart, and it’s JT and I again. Then the couchmate returns, and I return the seat to its rightful owner. Some more conversation ensues, and eventually everyone leaves.
At home, a facebook friend request vies for my attention, amid an inbox of requests, bug reports, and fan mail. The couchmate. Interesting. Only a few words were spoken between the two of us; hardly an association worthy of such a prestigious designation as “Facebook Friends”, I thought. Oh well; it’ll bring me to 2^7 friends, so I acquiesce. And moments later, a chat pops up from said newfound friend.
Several hours and a date invitation later, it’s time for bed. Or, more accurately, it’s time to get up for work; 4am came and went with that discussion. Tomorrow (or, later today, since it’s officially Tuesday now) will be tough. But I manage. Work comes and goes. And then the date. Schedules fail, and we end up at her place, watching movies and having fun. The ambient temperature is declared to be lower than normal, and hands begin to be clasped. The touch barrier has been broken. Man I forgot how nice that is… I immediately find myself a stranger in a strange land. With no prior experience (lds-wise.. I’m not quite as inexperienced as that) to draw from, I am helpless. Extended advice would be something to the effect of “do what feels right,” but to an unfeeling stoic such as myself, that advice isn’t helpful. I’ll just enjoy it, and see what happens.
Again, 4am comes and goes. Wednesday will be even more difficult than Tuesday, but I manage. I collapse around 7:30pm, and arise early Thursday, greeted by work, and then — that’s right— another date. Crazy. More fun, more movies, more hands. Not as late.
Friday comes. Work, another date (dinner, shopping, movie, hands), sleep.
Saturday, errands, computer training, a short shopping date (shoes! and hands), and then another exhaustive collapse. The Adult Session of conference is missed.
Sunday morning comes early though. Conference is attended. A picnic ensues, along with a walk in the park. A movie too. And of course, hands. And then, off to Polaris to depart for work for the week.
All the projects that I had scheduled (including at least one with money and a deadline involved) were time-starved; I’ve prioritized family-starting above work, it seems. Short-term, I feel it’s justifiable. Long-term, such a practice can be disastrous without moderation.
I can’t get over the irony of things falling as they did. After irrationally expecting such a sequence of events, they happen as such, just a few short weeks after such expectations are abandoned. Thankfully new expectations are in place; while nothing inherently bad has happened, rushing into things actually frightens me a bit. This fear was somewhat unexpected. The new expectations revolve mostly around experience. I’ve discovered a few more traits that I enjoy: evaluated risk-taking, attention to detail, adaptability, and tolerance. All in all, I enjoy the refining process, though I worry about the heartbreak part.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m actually not totally into this. I’m not opposed to it either, mind you, I’m mostly along for the ride. I am left wondering if this is a normal position, or if things should be different. I don’t know how it all works, but at least I’m finally on the path to figuring how it does.
Final movie enumeration:
- Oceans 11
- Oceans 12
- Oceans 13
- Runaway Jury
- Forbidden Kingdom
- Bewitched
- The Village