By the time I got around to meeting my husband I had more than my fair share of unrequited love. I spent the better share of my time at school drooling or panting after one boy or another. Looking back I realize now that I really didn’t know any of those boys very well. All I knew was that I would lust after this one or that one simply by how hot they looked.
When I was in the 5th grade I had the hots for an older boy in the 6th grade. I would drool at him from afar and follow him around the playground like a pup in heat. He loved to play on the merry go round, so guess what? I loved to play on the merry go round. It made little difference that the faster the merry go round spun the more I wanted to toss my cookies. Whenever he acknowledged my presence, I would get the deer in the headlight look going on, break out in a sweat, and be rendered speechless. The few times I did manage to get a word out I rambled on like a blithering idiot.
Anyone who was anyone went to the roller rink for the school’s roller skating parties. I was no different. It made little difference that I could barely skate. I went, fell down, and had a blast trying to get an eye full of Mr. Wonderful. Kids at that age think it is the height of hilarity to broadcast your feelings to the object of your affection. It doesn’t matter how potentially embarrassing it may be. There is no loyalty at that age. My so called friend skated right up to Mr. Wonderful and informed him in no uncertain terms that I was in love with him. Honestly I wanted to die a thousand deaths. I was so mortified. I couldn’t go home because my mom had dropped me off and wouldn’t be returning until it was over, so I was stuck. There was no where to hide except the bathroom and I was dying to know what he said. My friend thought my dilemma was absolutely hilarious. Like any typical 5th grader I probed her for information “What did he say??” “How did he act?” “Was he completely grossed out?” “How could you??” It was like a scene out of “A Diary of a Wimpy Kid” except Greg Peffley wasn’t the star attraction, I was.
Before I knew what hit me, the object of my affection rolled up to me and said “So, you like me, huh?” Once again all I could do was smile like an imbecile and nod. Amused, he smiled and said “Cool” and skated away as quickly as he had come. A while later I remembered to breathe and the DJ announced that everyone line up against the walls for a moonlight couples skate. My friend and I took our place at the wall and to my utter shock Mr. Wonderful glided up to me and offered me his hand asking me to skate. I remember looking around me to see if he could possibly be speaking to someone else when he smiled and grabbed my hand leading me out onto the floor. I don’t remember what song was played. All I can remember is floating around the rink. When the song was over, he thanked me politely and went on his merry way. I watched as he skated with others. It made little difference. I was still starry eyed.
After that year, I never saw him again. I fell in and out of lust many times over the years. When I finally met my husband, he had me at hello. It was love at first sight. I had gone through enough losers to know a good one when he finally arrived. I instinctively knew he was the one for me when I first spoke to him on the phone. That feeling was reinforced when I finally laid eyes on him. My eyes adored him and they adore him still until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.
Although you will probably never find me praying for rain or doing a rain dance, I don’t mind rain when it does happen. It is kind of like the $hit in life that a person has no control over, it happens so it is best to deal with it instead of complain about it. If I happen to be at a concert or an outdoor event, it is going to take a lot more than rain to force me to hang it up and go home. However, a little thunder, lightning, and wind gusts strong enough to blow me back to start will send me packing.
I am not one of these people that cart an umbrella everywhere I go in case I get caught in a down pour. If it decides to rain, so be it. I will rush through it. A little rain never hurt anybody. It is only water and most people voluntarily get wet in the shower. They will willingly go swimming or run through the sprinkler. G0d forbid a little rain falls from the heavens. The same people will go into a panic and arm themselves with raingear and umbrellas or seek cover until the rain subsides. It is not acid. It iswater. I have places to go and have no desire to wait around. I am more than willing to get wet and dash through the rain.
Rain is actually rather invigorating. I don’t care how old I get, getting wet makes me laugh. It is fun. If you get the crazy notion to run and become Miss Athletic, a little rain feels really good when you are all hot and sweaty. When I was on the cross country team in high school we would always go out and run miles on end during practice. One time I got stuck miles away from the school in a downpour. You can bet I stepped it up a notch and ran a little faster that day. The fact that I was running along side the road made little difference to the motorists speeding by. They kept right on trucking full speed ahead splashing mud puddles all over me. When I arrived back at the school I looked like a muddy drenched rat. I wasn’t alone. The whole team looked that way. The only difference was the rest of the girls took time in the locker room to primp. Stupid me, I raced headlong into the gym where the girls on the volleyball team were practicing. They all stopped and stared at me like I was an alien from Mars. I suppose I looked like an alien to those prissy girls who were to perfect to even sweat.
Being out in a downpour adds to the adventure in life. Sure you get wet, but that is the beauty of it. Rain makes the flowers and the plants grow. I love how when it rains the house becomes so dark that you can barely find you’re a$$ with both hands. It is perfect weather to sleep in, or simply burrow in with a good book until the rain passes. It often cools the earth after a hot, sultry day. I can honestly say the only thing I really hate about rain is the mud and puddles that are left behind in the aftermath. I hate high stepping over mud puddles. I hate tip toeing through the mud.
Rain is just part of life. If folks are so willing to swim or jump in a lake, then I just don’t get why they have a problem getting wet when it rains. They will dry, and life does go on. Just let it rain until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.
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