The Love Story: Chapter One
Since this year is also my 10-year marriage anniversary, I thought I'd also celebrate being married and the road that got us here. I think I can come up with 12 (1 for each month) chapters about my relationship with Brad. Today I figured I'd start. What better place than at the beginning?
Brad and I met at Wal-Mart (much to my chagrin because really, who wants to admit they met the love of their life in wal-mart of all places??) when I was a freshman in college. I believe it was around October of 2001. I had been working there for a few years and being the experienced professional that I was, was often charged with training new cashiers. I happened to be assigned to training Brad on that fateful evening how to count down his register till. I wish I was into journal keeping back then so I could remember exactly how it transpired. Indeed, I often think our story would make a good novel but I have a hard time justifying making up facts that I can't exactly remember correctly just for story-telling's sake What I DO remember are 3 things:
1) Brad was as skinny as a string bean. Of course he's thin now too but not like then. It was mostly noticeable because he had the signature wal-mart vest which, at that time, had not been upgraded to the longer version that they later adapted. His torso was much longer than the vest and it made the vest look kind of goofy hanging off his skinny body. I remember trying to decide if he was in high school or college because he had the signature teenage acne that so many adolescents are plagued with. I decided at that time that he must be in highschool and found out at some later date, and was very surprised, that he was, in fact, a senior in college! Ha! I guess that can give you an idea of how young he looked.
2) He was very smart. Like the Brad I currently know, there wasn't a whole lot of "learning to count down a till" involved and it was more like Brad went on his assumptions and only asked for my approval on whether it was correct. He just went at it like he'd been counting down tills his whole life. He's a self-taught kind of guy as I was to find out but it was no less impressive that he caught on so quickly when I had trained dozens of young wal-mart hopefuls who ranged from "I don't think this is the right field for you and maybe you should consider transferring to the sales floor and folding shirts" to "You really ought to stop working menial jobs and go get a degree" smarts.
3) He was a darn nice guy. I know I wasn't smitten right then and there because he wasn't all that attractive to me at first (not to mention I decided he must be too young for me being in highschool and all). I don't think I gave much thought to it other than thinking it was nice to meet someone so nice and so smart. Brad's pretty expert at flirting but I don't think he put on the moves that night. Probably because he was going out with this chick, we'll call her Julia to protect he identity. But he was still nice. Really nice. And he had a smile that put me at ease with him.
So now that I think about it, Wal-mart isn't a bad place to meet someone. At least it wasn't a bar. That would probably be the worst place to admit you met someone. It's like the watering hole in the animal kingdom where everyone who doesn't already have a mate goes. And really, that means you're getting the ones that everyone else doesn't want. The dregs, if you will. OK, so that probably only applies like 95% of the time. But I'm of the opinion that if you're looking for a keeper, you should stay far far away from bars and night clubs.
But I digress. And so it was. Brad and I met each other at Wal-Mart. And so ends chapter ONE.
Brad and I met at Wal-Mart (much to my chagrin because really, who wants to admit they met the love of their life in wal-mart of all places??) when I was a freshman in college. I believe it was around October of 2001. I had been working there for a few years and being the experienced professional that I was, was often charged with training new cashiers. I happened to be assigned to training Brad on that fateful evening how to count down his register till. I wish I was into journal keeping back then so I could remember exactly how it transpired. Indeed, I often think our story would make a good novel but I have a hard time justifying making up facts that I can't exactly remember correctly just for story-telling's sake What I DO remember are 3 things:
1) Brad was as skinny as a string bean. Of course he's thin now too but not like then. It was mostly noticeable because he had the signature wal-mart vest which, at that time, had not been upgraded to the longer version that they later adapted. His torso was much longer than the vest and it made the vest look kind of goofy hanging off his skinny body. I remember trying to decide if he was in high school or college because he had the signature teenage acne that so many adolescents are plagued with. I decided at that time that he must be in highschool and found out at some later date, and was very surprised, that he was, in fact, a senior in college! Ha! I guess that can give you an idea of how young he looked.
2) He was very smart. Like the Brad I currently know, there wasn't a whole lot of "learning to count down a till" involved and it was more like Brad went on his assumptions and only asked for my approval on whether it was correct. He just went at it like he'd been counting down tills his whole life. He's a self-taught kind of guy as I was to find out but it was no less impressive that he caught on so quickly when I had trained dozens of young wal-mart hopefuls who ranged from "I don't think this is the right field for you and maybe you should consider transferring to the sales floor and folding shirts" to "You really ought to stop working menial jobs and go get a degree" smarts.
3) He was a darn nice guy. I know I wasn't smitten right then and there because he wasn't all that attractive to me at first (not to mention I decided he must be too young for me being in highschool and all). I don't think I gave much thought to it other than thinking it was nice to meet someone so nice and so smart. Brad's pretty expert at flirting but I don't think he put on the moves that night. Probably because he was going out with this chick, we'll call her Julia to protect he identity. But he was still nice. Really nice. And he had a smile that put me at ease with him.
So now that I think about it, Wal-mart isn't a bad place to meet someone. At least it wasn't a bar. That would probably be the worst place to admit you met someone. It's like the watering hole in the animal kingdom where everyone who doesn't already have a mate goes. And really, that means you're getting the ones that everyone else doesn't want. The dregs, if you will. OK, so that probably only applies like 95% of the time. But I'm of the opinion that if you're looking for a keeper, you should stay far far away from bars and night clubs.
But I digress. And so it was. Brad and I met each other at Wal-Mart. And so ends chapter ONE.
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