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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

weekly musings of yester year: Boy meets Girl

I lived before I blogged
But I didn't write it down.
I am fired.
Enter new regular segment;

"Weekly Musings of Yester Year"

I will share stories of my life before I blogged and try and fill in holes that I have neglected PB (post blogging) Like my kids birth stories. Hopefully I have told them so many times I can still give a detailed account)

For my first segment I have chosen the most important meeting of my life..
When I met Ben.

I was siting in institute on a Tuesday evening in August of 2004. I had recently decided to stop being in a long period relationship and start play the field, Richie Cunningham style, or like they do in Utah. I had a my heart broken that summer and I was ready to be more then just somebody's girlfriend and discover who I was on my own and what was important to me. My family had just moved to Santa Barbara after selling their house in Santa Ynez. This meant I could stop sleeping on the couches of my dear friends in apartment 10 of Garden Court. Heather, Brittney, Michelle, Kim I will always be grateful to you! I worked for Riley's Flowers (no relation) on the Mesa, in their little outside flower stand. I was also a full time student at Santa Barbara City College. It was a good time for me, I had a plan and a course and then I went to institute and my plan changed a little but got a whole lot better.

Tuesday Institute began as usual with Brother Chapman, the showman teaching us about the doctrines of the gospel with his own special flare. Thirty minutes into the lesson the side door opened and there he stood. The whole room turned to see the tall stranger with blond hair looking for a seat. Bleached blond head of hair and soul patch on his chin. I looked at him and instantly knew that he was different, and not just because he was wearing a Simpson's Sopranos style T-shirt and denim cut off jeans. I remember thinking to myself, "Well that's interesting". He was good looking, very good looking but with a bad boy style that I had never been drawn to before (except once in high school but that's... lets not talk about that). He sat down behind me and the lesson continued on. I assumed that he was maybe inactive or just passing through IV and was curious why there were so many cars parked at a church building on a Tuesday night. And then it happened, he spoke. Brother Chapman asked a question about the order of resurrection. And the Stranger answered. A good answer, he was clearly knowledgeable about the gospel and its doctrine. I could feel the spirit of his testimony as he spoke with conviction about the things we believe in. I was intrigued.

I turned around in my seat (class still in session) and said, "I am sorry who are you?" He told me his name and that he had just come from BYU to attend graduate school. I told him mine and that's when I noticed his muscular arms and tan skin. (I had only dated skinny guys and had always wanted a man who could pick me up without grunting) I am fairly certain we shook hands during our brief exchange and then I turned back around and we continued to listen to the lesson.

(The professor would like to point out that he had noticed me before we spoke but had assumed the boy sitting next to me with his arm around the chair was my boyfriend, when he was in fact my brother.)

After class, cookies were served to the starving college students in the small concrete brick institute on Cordoba Road. The hall was crowded as I made my way to the kitchen past the pictured covered walls. I heard the new guy speaking to a small circle of friends. "Yeah, I am here early for math camp." I stopped and spun around facing him head on. He was tall, 6'3 and had green eyes that had a little brown in them. "Wait", I said, "Your going to Math Camp? You are a such nerd!" "I am a nerd and quite proud of it Thank you!" he said in a joking and playful way. "It's alright... I am mean" I said, "You are mean" he agreed. We both smiled at each other for a second and then he continued to tell us that Math Camp was legitimate three week long intense math refresher course before graduate classes for his doctorate in Economics started next month. We chatted for a few more minutes and I continued along my way in search of some cookies.

That night I went home and told my mom that their was a new boy in the ward, and "I was strangely attracted to him." (You have to remember, the boy had bleached hair ;)

The Proof
blond ben at FHE
The "crew" during the early days of our courtship.
I am not here, I thinking I am working at the flower stand.

5 comments:

christy said...

So fun! I love reading courtship stories, esp. when I'm up late by myself with the hubby in another state. I can't wait to hear the next installment.

Unknown said...

Awwwww that's a cute story Rileigh!!! i never knew how you and Ben met. only that four months later i got a phone call saying you're gettin hitched! and the rest is history - with two little cuties added :)

Heather said...

awww, I never heard that before. Awesome to read. I think it is a very cool idea that you are writing about things before blogging. That is a great way to remember all your memories!

Jeri said...

Ah ha! He was blond and so tan! Great story. You guys make a fantastic couple.

Katie said...

I loved every word of this. You are such a storyteller! (And even though I knew the phrase "strangely attractive" was coming, it STILL made me laugh out loud :)

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