and so I asked him out

because this week is my SIXTH wedding anniversary,
I’m sharing the story of how I met & married my husband.
//part 1 :: love at first . . . nevermind//
part 2 is below:

When my 2 older sisters went off to college, my dad started this little tradition. The basic idea was this: when there was a reverse courtesy dating outing {ie. the girls ask the guys out}, we had to go. Since I’m the youngest, this tradition was no surprise. But I just hoped that my society’s dating outing would fall during my second semester so I would at least have the opportunity to make some guy friends before I had to just cold turkey ask someone out.

No such luck. Clearly, I should have picked a society based on whether their dating outing was 1st or 2nd semester.

Seeing as I was a brand new little freshyman, I had no clue who I should ask on a date. So I asked my older sister to give me some names of good guys I could ask out. She gave me a list of 3 names and I got up the nerve to call the first guy.

Guy #1: “No, I’m going to a football game that night.”

Cross him off the list. Gahh! I have to work up the nerve to ask another guy out!

Guy #2: “No.” I can’t remember if he had a reason or not. Clearly, it wasn’t a very scarring experience.

Cross him off too. Good grief.

Now, you might have guessed this already, but Guy #3’s name was Jonathan. The last guy on my list. I gathered up the courage to ask him out & he agreed to go. Before I go further, I should mention that the only reason he said yes was to be nice. And really, the only reason I asked him was because 1) I had to & 2) he was the last one on my list.

Basically, it wasn’t the greatest start in the world. And we didn’t exactly fall in love during the dating outing either. In fact, at the end of the evening, I decided he was arrogant and I had negative interest in him. And he clearly had no interest in me, as evidenced by the long year and a half of silence.

However, I’m about to share with you one of the most awkward + terrible pictures in the history of ever.

Once again, take hope.