February 14, 2006

• YOU HAD ME AT HELLO

  
  

   

  
  

  Approximately seven years ago I was doing what I’m doing at this very moment; sitting at my computer surfing porn. No, that’s not true, but I was sitting at my computer eating lunch and minding my own business when an instant message popped up on my screen containing the single word, “hello.”

  
  

   

  
  

  I’ve never been one to use instant messenger much and when I did get instant messages they were usually of the following variety: “Hi, I’m Bambi. I’m 19, single, and my girl friends and I are looking for a good time. I saw your profile and we want to chat with you! Just click on enormous-hooters.com and you can see me live on my web cam! (just 3.95 a minute)” Therefore, I usually closed IM’s. In this case, I positioned my mouse over the little “X” in the upper right hand corner of the box but for some reason, I decided to leave it open.

  
  

   

  
  

  The screen name that the instant message came from seemed to have something to do with flossing your teeth, so I picked up the fork I was using, dug a piece of bologna out from between a couple of molars, and responded to the message. Ever the wordsmith, I responded with an equally cryptic “hello.”

  
  

   

  
  

  It turned out the person on the other end of the computer wasn’t a whack-job or cyber-porn huckster as I feared, but was actually a very nice woman who happened to be a dental hygienist (hence the flossing reference).  We talked for several days and discovered that we had an almost eerie amount of things in common; we both liked Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain, for example. Ok that’s not true either but compatibility did seem like a possibility.

  
  

   

  
  

  At that point in my life I had EVERY intention of remaining single until the sun went out, but I thought “hey, lunch can’t hurt,” so we made plans to meet for a bite at a very public place.  It’s best not to get your hopes up in situations like this, so I had myself psyched up to be greeted by the female version of the Elephant Man. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find a VERY cute redhead sitting at the table. I’ve always had a thing for redheads, so the day was defiantly looking up!

  
  

   

  
  

  We’ve been inseparable from that lunch forward, and we got married under the stars on the deck of a cruise ship somewhere off the coast of Mexico four years ago. Life couldn’t be better.

  
  

   

  
  

  I think often about what my life would be like if I had clicked that “X” seven years ago. I thank God every day that I didn’t.

  
  

   

  
  

  Happy Valentines Day babe! May we have a hundred more.

  
  

   

  
  

  

  • 1:19 pm
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