As My Worlds Collide
I was a Geek in High School. A total Geek. A Boy-crazy Bookworm who was Drum Major of the Marching Band. I was Valedictorian of and voted Best Christian Attitude by my Senior Class. Big mall hair and blue eyeliner. You get the picture. I think I was pretty well liked, though. I think. I just wanted to go ahead and throw that out there to clear up any confusion for those of you who didn't know me back then. And for those of you who did - well, you know.
Deep down, I'm still a Geek, but I do think I hide it better. I think.
There's an episode of Seinfeld in which George Costanza is afraid that if his girlfriend Susan begins hanging out with his friends, his two Worlds - consisting of Relationship George and Independent George - will collide and ruin this balanced existence he has created for himself. Well today, three of my Worlds - High School Mary Alice, College Mary Alice and Wife & Mommy Mary Alice collided all at once for the very first time. It was a bit surreal, but really, really good. Today was a reminder of how, my whole life, the Lord has blessed me by placing such Good People in my path. Let's see if I can make some sense of the whole discombobulated story. I will warn you: You might need to take notes. Lots of parentheses and names that start with the letter J to come.
I attended a wedding today. The groom was my very best friend in High school, as well as my date to the Senior Prom. Just for giggles, I wish I had a digital copy of our prom picture, or perhaps a shot of us when he was a good two feet shorter than me, but unfortunately I don't so here we are today:
Jason and I became friends when he was in the 8th grade and I was a Sophomore, although we had known of each other long before that. (Our school was K-12, and most of us had been around since elementary school.) It all began when Jason's mom, secretary of the High School and one of my mom's best friends, hired me to tutor him in Algebra. I am not sure how many equations we actually completed (although he obviously passed), but during those tutoring sessions Jason Twilley Allen became my dearest friend, my matchmaker and my trusted relationship counselor. You see, I had a HUGE crush on one of his best friends, and it became Jason's mission to fix us up. It worked I guess, and the friend (also named Jason) went on to become my High School Sweetheart and date to the Junior Prom. (It just so happens that Jason #2 was a groomsman in the wedding today, and also present was his beautiful High School Sweetheart - not me, obviously, haha - whom he married, and their two precious daughters.) Two of the other groomsmen were also good friends from high school (Jason #3 and Jay) both of whom are now married to lovely girls. Jay (whom I always affectionately called "Kevin" because of his striking resemblance to Kevin Arnold, Fred Savage's character in The Wonder Years) and his wife are even expecting twins. How exciting!
Jason Allen (the groom, for those of you not taking notes) went on to attend Lipscomb with me, and although we remained friends - it was never the same as in High School. (No more six hour phone conversations, for one thing. Yes, we actually once talked on the phone for six straight hours. Still not sure how either of us got away with that.) Isn't it funny how time changes things? (I am beginning to feel like the Narrarator in Stand By Me.) Nevertheless, we still had many of the same friends, so I actually knew all of his other Groomsmen from our college days. Sitting there with Phillip and Jack, seeing them all standing up there together was such a strange thing, and was when I first realized that these Worlds I spoke about earlier were actually colliding. Weird.
Phillip Denny - of the frequently blogged about Denny's - is a mutual college friend of mine and Jason's, and was a member of the wedding party. He and gorgeous Jenni took a moment after the ceremony to strike a pose for me:
So I found myself in the midst of all of this surrealness with the two most handsome wedding dates ever. They were both such troopers, patiently allowing me the time and freedom to visit and walk down memory lane with old friends, despite their both being hungry and in desperate need of a nap:
You know, I thought it might be strange seeing all these people from different times in my life all at once. But it was anything but strange. It was wonderful. Glorious, even. Each person I have mentioned, along with their parents and so many others, is someone who helped to shape me into who I am today. I am the (hopefully less Geekish) wife, mother, daughter and friend I am today in large part because of their influence. I wish that there was a way to effectively communicate to every person in my life just how they have molded me, although I am am sure I don't even know the half of it myself. Perhaps if they stumble across this collection of ramshacke thoughts they will at least know how much they are cherished and appreciated, whether as a past friend or a present one.
I guess I know what I'll be buying at the grocery store next week. Have a good night, ya'll. And thanks for being a part of my life!
Deep down, I'm still a Geek, but I do think I hide it better. I think.
There's an episode of Seinfeld in which George Costanza is afraid that if his girlfriend Susan begins hanging out with his friends, his two Worlds - consisting of Relationship George and Independent George - will collide and ruin this balanced existence he has created for himself. Well today, three of my Worlds - High School Mary Alice, College Mary Alice and Wife & Mommy Mary Alice collided all at once for the very first time. It was a bit surreal, but really, really good. Today was a reminder of how, my whole life, the Lord has blessed me by placing such Good People in my path. Let's see if I can make some sense of the whole discombobulated story. I will warn you: You might need to take notes. Lots of parentheses and names that start with the letter J to come.
I attended a wedding today. The groom was my very best friend in High school, as well as my date to the Senior Prom. Just for giggles, I wish I had a digital copy of our prom picture, or perhaps a shot of us when he was a good two feet shorter than me, but unfortunately I don't so here we are today:
Jason and I became friends when he was in the 8th grade and I was a Sophomore, although we had known of each other long before that. (Our school was K-12, and most of us had been around since elementary school.) It all began when Jason's mom, secretary of the High School and one of my mom's best friends, hired me to tutor him in Algebra. I am not sure how many equations we actually completed (although he obviously passed), but during those tutoring sessions Jason Twilley Allen became my dearest friend, my matchmaker and my trusted relationship counselor. You see, I had a HUGE crush on one of his best friends, and it became Jason's mission to fix us up. It worked I guess, and the friend (also named Jason) went on to become my High School Sweetheart and date to the Junior Prom. (It just so happens that Jason #2 was a groomsman in the wedding today, and also present was his beautiful High School Sweetheart - not me, obviously, haha - whom he married, and their two precious daughters.) Two of the other groomsmen were also good friends from high school (Jason #3 and Jay) both of whom are now married to lovely girls. Jay (whom I always affectionately called "Kevin" because of his striking resemblance to Kevin Arnold, Fred Savage's character in The Wonder Years) and his wife are even expecting twins. How exciting!
Jason Allen (the groom, for those of you not taking notes) went on to attend Lipscomb with me, and although we remained friends - it was never the same as in High School. (No more six hour phone conversations, for one thing. Yes, we actually once talked on the phone for six straight hours. Still not sure how either of us got away with that.) Isn't it funny how time changes things? (I am beginning to feel like the Narrarator in Stand By Me.) Nevertheless, we still had many of the same friends, so I actually knew all of his other Groomsmen from our college days. Sitting there with Phillip and Jack, seeing them all standing up there together was such a strange thing, and was when I first realized that these Worlds I spoke about earlier were actually colliding. Weird.
Phillip Denny - of the frequently blogged about Denny's - is a mutual college friend of mine and Jason's, and was a member of the wedding party. He and gorgeous Jenni took a moment after the ceremony to strike a pose for me:
So I found myself in the midst of all of this surrealness with the two most handsome wedding dates ever. They were both such troopers, patiently allowing me the time and freedom to visit and walk down memory lane with old friends, despite their both being hungry and in desperate need of a nap:
You know, I thought it might be strange seeing all these people from different times in my life all at once. But it was anything but strange. It was wonderful. Glorious, even. Each person I have mentioned, along with their parents and so many others, is someone who helped to shape me into who I am today. I am the (hopefully less Geekish) wife, mother, daughter and friend I am today in large part because of their influence. I wish that there was a way to effectively communicate to every person in my life just how they have molded me, although I am am sure I don't even know the half of it myself. Perhaps if they stumble across this collection of ramshacke thoughts they will at least know how much they are cherished and appreciated, whether as a past friend or a present one.
Thank you, Lord, for always having a plan, and for bringing special people in and out - and sometimes back in - my life at just the right moments. I am grateful to you for each life that has touched mine. Amen.
And on a lighter note, my precious Jack discovered marshmallows today at the reception. And I think he liked what he discovered:
I guess I know what I'll be buying at the grocery store next week. Have a good night, ya'll. And thanks for being a part of my life!
Posted By Mary Alice at 11:02 PM
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