Episode 27: Love is in the air. Not my air... everyone else's air.

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"I came home tonight and got into the elevator to go to my apartment. An hour later, I got out of the elevator and Brinkley and I moved out. Suddenly everything had become clear. It's a long story. Full of the personal details we avoid so carefully... Let me just say, there was a man sitting in the elevator with me who knew exactly what he wanted and I found myself wishing I were as lucky as he."

No, I did not decide to start watching my favorite romcom You've Got Mail at 1AM... okay maybe! That quote just spoke to me though!

It's been 4 months since my last blog post and there have been many events that have lead me to reflect in general.  

In late September I had my 10 year high school reunion.  I was reluctant to make the trek back but was convinced by old friends to make the trip to good ole Palatine, Illinois.  While I was home I decided to go through old yearbooks, reading old passages, comparing where people were now.  Reading passages made me think of past friendships and relationships and how crazy most of those connections are just distant memories now.  If you asked 18 year old Don, "Where would you be in 10 years?" and receive an honest answer he would have said, "I would be teaching math at my old high school coaching cross country married with maybe the second kid on the way"  and obviously that's not where I'm at today.

Please do not assume that I am regretting my choices because I'm far from that.  Sure, everything above sounds nice and comfortable but the choices I've made have lead me to meet so many amazing people. It's astounding to think about "what if" scenarios in each of our lives.  How one choice could lead you in such a different path comparatively to the others.

Looking at all my old classmates now we all left high school in a relatively common place but now it is clear how many different paths have been taken since then where no one path is the "correct one".  What is important is that we continue to make these choices to create our own lives and to realize that people might have different outcomes but it makes it no lesser, just different.  Yeah, some deep shit.

I look forward to our next reunion.

In my blog post "Episode 22: The Wedding Blog" (click here to see old post) I spoke about all the weddings I've been to and I think now is a good time to review the weddings since then.

Jenna and Ryan Jarvis
Waterworks (When I got emotional): Ceremony, Ryan watching Jenna walk down the isle
Relationship: I met Ryan through Tuesday Night Pick-up!
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Tie: Purple/Silver bow tie
Say what?! moment: GOT THE GAURD! Take that tall white men...

Jeni and Johnny Lam
Waterworks (When I got emotional): Ceremony, Declaration of Intent
Relationship: Random Pick-up games throughout LA.  I first really got to know them during One Love Beach Tournament in San Diego.
Location: Alhambra, CA
Tie: Skinny Black Tie
Say what?! moment: I had the honor to be their Minister!/I busted a move right through my pants... butt seam to be exact


Eileen and Alex Carey
Waterworks (When I got emotional): Ceremony, Vows
Relationship: I met Alex at Mira Costa High School during Thanksgiving pickup in 2010.  I remember Chuck Aramaki talking up Alex on the sideline and me on the sideline thinking, "Pshh... yea, whatever."
Location: Kapolei, HI
Tie: Purple/silver bowtie
Say what?! moment: Being Alex's best man!  I will argue that being the best man is the pinnacle of any "wedding career" that one might have besides winning the "championship".  I'm like the Derrick Rose equivalent to weddings.

http://www.staceyadamsphoto.com/

http://www.staceyadamsphoto.com/

Honorable mentions 

Emily and Doug Daube
Relationship: Old ultimate teammates at Illinois State University
Reason I Could Not Attend: Too much money to make it out there.


All these weddings were amazing but at the same time I can't help but think about my current status and my own feelings about dating... and it sucks.  There haven't been many, but there definitely have been, girls where I've met and I've had an assuring gut feeling that I was truely excited about them and that doesn't mean the feelings were mutual.

Honestly, most of the time when I'm "interested" in a girl we have some things in common and she's cute so I say I'll give it a try.  Call me crazy but the romantic in me needs there to be more than just that.  I have a friend from college who always told me that I put "pussy on a pedestal", and she was and still is right. Everything I'm saying could totally be unfair creating this impossible depiction of love from all the personal love stories I've heard from friends; so I'm a walking romcom hoping to happen.

I challenge any married couple or anyone that believes that they are in "love" to tell me when did you know?  How did you feel when you first met?  Comment on this post, personal message me, direct message me or whatever you want to call it.

BUT once again to these wonderful couples, thank you so much for allowing me to be part of your special day in some way.  It's an honor and privilege to just be apart of your lives.  I have the best friends in the world and if you don't think so I will fight you. It's 3:30AM I'm tired, goodnight (/I woke up at noon to edit this).