Becoming Frugal and Artsy- "You should write a book!"- Two First Dates

"You Should Write a Book!"

My husband Matt and I have had some really crazy experiences since we joined forces about a decade ago. Some of our experiences have been so unusual that people have a hard time believing they actually transpired! I will share a few stories about our early years that were absolutely crazy! Brace yourselves! God took us on a wild ride, and I feel like we are still on it!

Two First Dates

When I was a teen I had this mental checklist of characteristics I was looking for in a spouse and with each guy I dated, I went through the checklist periodically, and if a guy didn't check the boxes, the relationship was over. It looked something like this:

- Christian

-Attractive

-Good work ethic

-Good manners

-Taller than me

-Musically inclined

-Fun-loving

-Non-smoker

 Matt and I attended the same church, but he didn't check all the boxes I had on my mental list. He was missing one... height. I am about a full inch taller than him. My mom wanted me to go out with him because "he was a nice guy" but I assured her that things couldn't possibly work out with Matt because of the height issue. Nope. Nope. Nope.

One fateful day, Matt asked me to go on a date with him, and I knew I would face my mother's wrath if I didn't at least give him a chance, so I said,"yes." Much to my mother's excitement, he came driving his pick up truck up our dirt road to pick me up at my parents' house. She was smiling ear to ear as I left and got in his truck with him to head to dinner and a movie.

Conversation on the way to the restaurant was sparse at best, and the food at the restaurant was mediocre. By the time our meal was over, I was... uncomfortable. The evening felt forced, and there wasn't any kind of spark. "I knew the height issue would run deep," I thought to myself, "I can't wait to get this night over and be done with this guy once and for all, and my mom will shut up about him!" As we left the restaurant, he was a gentleman. He held the door for me leaving the restaurant, and when we got to his truck, he opened the door. He must have been distracted because as he went to close the passenger side door, my leg was in the way! I quickly jerked my leg out of harm's way, but he didn't even notice! "Some gentleman!," I thought.

The night went on with a crummy movie and a quiet drive straight home. He walked me up to the porch and quickly drove his truck home. It was the worst first date ever. 

Two years went by and every guy I agreed to date from that point forward was taller than me. Numerous other candidates went through my checklist only to come up short (ha!) in one way or another. One evening while I was working at Pizza Hut, Matt's parents came to have dinner, and Matt met them there to eat too. We struck up a conversation about how things were going in college, and we talked for a while about the process of becoming educators. I talked about a book that I was reading called Educating Esme, and he said he wanted to read it. 

I brought the book to church the next Sunday, and he said he would read it. A week or two later, he called me and told me that if I ever wanted to see my book again, I could get it back after dinner and a movie. "Hmmm," I thought, "Things didn't go so well last time, but I will try this again just because he seems different now." 

We went to dinner, and we had planned to go to an early movie, but we talked for such a long time at the restaurant that we ended up missing the early showtime. So we drove to another city and saw the movie Hitch. We enjoyed such a great movie, and Matt even wanted to hold my hand during the show! I couldn't wrap my mind around the difference that had taken place in only two years! I was enjoying him! We were enjoying each other! I didn't want the night to end! 

When the night ended, I asked for my book back, and he FORGOT the book. Yeah. Likely story. So he asked me to go on another date, which I was glad to do. We call this night our "Second First Date" because the first one was so horrible, it didn't really count. Since it took us two years to go on a second date, we just decided to start over.

That was the best decision I ever made. He's still an inch shorter than me. That was ten years ago. That was three kids ago. That was three college degrees ago. That was three homes ago.

Praise the Lord I realized the error of my vain ways as a young woman, or I could have let a silly issue like height keep me from marrying such a genuinely good man!

Song of Solomon 3:4 ...I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him and would not let him go...