As I’ve mentioned, Handsome Husband and I met when we were just in junior high. We went on to go to the same high school, and spent four years very loosely involved with one another’s lives, but somehow always somewhat omnipresent.
After being rejected for two years (sorry Honey, but that’s what it was!), I went to Diablo High ready to meet new people and start fresh. Until I saw HH (to be known as Smart-ass Redheaded Kid for the remainder of this post). All of those butterflies came rushing back, and suddenly I was back at the Hello Dance in 7th grade, and he was looking at me like we were the only people there. An awkward 14-year-old hug (you know the kind – none of your body from the collarbones down are touching, butts out) and some small talk later, and I had to remind myself that this time things were going to be different. This was high school (feels funny now, saying that it was like the Olympics or something) – I had a chance to start over and be whoever I wanted to be and that person was not “the girl who really likes Smart-Ass Redheaded Kid.”
I went to a large high school (my graduating class had close to 700 seniors), so there were lots of people to meet and lots of friends to be made. I didn’t go into high school a social butterfly, but I’d like to think by the time I left I had transformed from awkward adolescent to sociable young adult.
Redheaded Kid and I crossed paths often, but always in fleeting ways. A Spanish class together here (one in which I had an emotional breakdown due to my boyfriend at time’s new haircut, not sure how Redhead ever let me forget that one), a quick chat during lunch there, morning science classes next to each other senior year.
Smart-ass Redhead and I both did a lot of growing and learning about ourselves during high school, completely unrelated to one another. He started a serious relationship about halfway in that lasted through graduation and even survived the first year of college. I did my share of loving and losing, and being dumped and doing some dumping. We both spent time learning (from other people) how to be a good partner, how to be a bad one, and what we did and didn’t want in relationships. I am so glad we had this time to learn from other people and learn about ourselves because I think it is invaluable. Sometimes I envy real high school sweethearts (why couldn’t we have figured this out a little earlier?). But I know that if we wouldn’t have taken that time to really get to know ourselves before we made this choice to be together, it might not have worked out the way (I thank God) it has.
Redhead and I graduated (and by that time, we had drifted so far apart I’m not sure I even saw him at graduation), and went on to do completely different things with our lives. He moved to San Diego, continued his high school relationship, and started pursuing a degree in Political Science. I stayed with my parents (also continued by high school relationship, though it was fizzling fast before I even got to throw my cap in the air) and went to the local community college, unsure of exactly where I would end up.
One thing we both had in common – we were completely unaware of the winding path ahead of us that would lead us back to one another.
Want to know how it happened? Stay tuned!
What a wonderful story! I can't wait to hear how you guys reunited.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes wish that I had met my husband earlier or that he was my first love, but most of the time I'm grateful that I had my other relationships. I think I'm the sort of person who would always be wondering what it was like to be with someone else if I had never had that chance!
@Married In Chicago
ReplyDeleteThanks! I agree I think I would always wonder if grass was greener, now I can KNOW my grass is the greenest! :)