First Dates

Do you remember your first date with that special someone, the one who made you feel all jittery inside?

Maybe you knew him pretty well, or maybe he was a virtual stranger. Maybe you’d talked a little, or maybe it was just those quick fleeting glances, where you look over at someone and then when they look back, you swing away and pretend you were doing something else.

(In the days before Caller ID, we all called the guy we were crushing on, then hung up as soon as someone answered. I have no idea why, but hearing their voice was thrilling. Their mom or dad’s voice…not so much.)

Anyway. Do you remember how you felt, how excited you were? Do you remember how much you thought about it, how much you wondered? What should you wear? What should you talk about? What would happen AFTER the movie? Would he really take you home—or would you go park behind the school?

So many what ifs. So many possibilities. I remember them well.

My husband and I worked for the same company. Everyone hung out together, but we dating was kind of a no-no. But whenever he looked at me, I felt that little rush skitter through me, and yeah, a lot of times I looked away.

Then he asked me out.

We were just going to dinner. Friends, you know. At The Olive Garden. We were both new to town. I was coming out of a crash-and-burn relationship, and I didn’t especially want to get involved again.

But still I spent huge amounts of time and energy making sure everything was just so: the right outfit, the right hair, the right makeup. Then I started thinking about what we would talk about: he was a Big City boy and I was somewhat of a Small Town girl, and I really, really wanted our first evening together to be perfect.

I mean, think about it…  In that one moment when you put your hand to the door and prepare to pull it open for the first time, the slate is blank, the canvas is clean, the opportunity is endless. It’s unbelievably exciting—and more than a little daunting.

Okay, so at this point, if you’re still with me, you’re probably wondering where the heck am I going with all this?

I’ll tell you.

Right now, right this very moment, we’re on a first date: my first blog post. Ever. And just like that night with my future husband, I’ve given a great deal of thought about where to start. I’ve always been one of those quiet girls, pretty much not talking until someone talks to me. I like to listen. I like to observe. I like to let others go first.

But that doesn’t work so well with blogging J

So I’ve made lists. I’ve jotted notes everywhere of all the things I’d like to talk about: Dreams and Destiny and Psychic Phenomenon, Taking Chances, The Power of Words and the 7 Deadly Pitfalls of …Something.  And Dr. Seuss. And baseball and what we can learn from those classic but simple words: Sometimes you win, Sometimes you lose, And sometimes it rains. And of course, I wouldn’t be me without gushing about JJ Abrams and how lost I am without LOST, how Dave Matthew rocks my world and how, slowly, FRINGE is helping to heal my broken heart.  Oh, yeah, probably a little about how Trinity, my sixteen-year-old psychic protagonist, came to be.

But that’s an awful lot for a first date.

So instead of rushing straight to all the good, fun, exciting stuff, it’s probably best if I start with the beginning,  and just open the door.

So here goes.

Hi.

It’s awesome to be here.

Whatcha in the mood for? Dinner?  A movie?