Book Review: One Hand, Two Hands by Max Lucado

http://thebulgingbookbag.blogspot.com/2010/09/book-review-one-hand-two-hands-by-max.html

Book Review: Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

http://thebulgingbookbag.blogspot.com/2010/09/book-review-outlive-your-life-by-max.html

Stories of an Unconventional Childhood, Week Fourteen

Over at Mommy's Piggy Tales, there's a cool project going on about family history. There is a challenge to blog for 15 weeks about our growing up years, with a different time period covered each week. Spitfire talked me into joining in because she's hoping for some wild stories from my childhood.

 My senior year started off differently, but that was nothing compared to the rest of the year. First of all, after seven years in band and one in orchestra, I wasn't signed up for any form of instrumental music. I had a major falling-out with my band director and decided I didn't need the aggravation. Meanwhile, my best friend talked me into trying out for the choir. I did and was accepted. I was on the yearbook staff and was elected senior class historian. The year was shaping up.

Meanwhile, some of my friends from the year before drifted away and others got much closer. My best friend and I were inseparable. If you saw one of us, the other was probably nearby. We didn't see this as a problem until we found out that a mutual friend of ours wanted to become more than a friend. The only problem is, he knew he really liked one of us, but since we were always together and always playing off each other, he couldn't figure out which one it was.

Finally, he picked one and took the plunge. He asked out my best friend. I think it took only one or two dates for him to figure out he had picked the wrong one. They parted ways as friends. He waited a couple weeks and asked me out, but I was afraid of hurting my friend's feelings so I turned him down.

But we started talking more and he started calling me. When I got sick and was quarantined to see if I had rheumatic fever (I didn't), he sneaked in a visit and talked to me through the window. People at school were beginning to notice that he walked me to classes and carried my books. Our circle of friends, which had extended to 5 of us (my best friend, the guy, his best friend, the best friend's girlfriend, and me), went everywhere and hung out together. Soon he and I  realized that we were much more than just friends.

Then Valentine's Day drew near. Student council was selling carnations as a fundraiser and delivering them to the classes with a doily attached and whatever message you wanted. The carnations started showing up about 3rd period. By lunch I had about 10. Then he presented me with a gift. He had tracked down 3 albums by a band I had mentioned liking, that most people had never heard of. I was overwhelmed. When he invited me on a date doubling with his best friend and his girl, I accepted immediately.

The logistics of the date got a little crazy when the restaurant they had planned to take us to turned out to be closed, but the guys came up with plan B and we had a nice meal anyway. His friend was driving, so we were sitting in the back seat. We talked and talked, until he got really quiet, took my hand, looked me in the eye, and said, "I don't suppose you'd marry me?"
Join me next Thursday for the exciting conclusion!