My High School Sweetheart

WHEN: January 9, 2001
WHERE: Janesville, Iowa

On June 1, 2007, I married my high school sweetheart. She was my first and only girlfriend and I her first and only boyfriend. It's a relationship and history we've shared for which I often overlook how much of our lives we've spent together already. Today marks the 10-year anniversary since Stace and I "met", and we've spent the past 2/5 of our lives making memories, sharing our lives together, and being each other's best friend.

I say "met" because as many of you know we knew (of) each other long before that. It's not really feasible to pinpoint an exact date or year when we first saw or met each other though, and you know that kills me. :) We were both born in the same city, grew up in the same city, attended the same school for several years, and our families were in many of the same circles - all before Stace and I "met" in 2001. In fact, Stace had developed a crush of sorts on me in the months before we met 10 years ago. Could you blame her? :)

I had become a friend of her younger sister, Jennie, before I ever spoke to Stace. We all attended the same school and were only one grade apart, yet Stace and I had never spoken. Before January 9, 2001, Stace and I had been attending the same K-12 school for 9 years, since I had began in the third grade. To be honest, I don't even know exactly when Stace began "noticing" me (I'm sure she does, and I'm sure she's told me but I have forgotten) but I'm sure my new friendship with Jennie only helped.

On the night of January 9, 2001 (a Tuesday night), Stace and I were both in Janesville for a high school basketball game. She would have been playing in this game but had injured her arm. Instead, she was sitting in the stands, helping videotape the game for her coaches. I showed up late to the game and as I surveyed the "home side" stands, she and our high school math teacher were the only faces I recognized. I made a bee-line for her.

At this time, she had a crush on me but we had never spoken, to our knowledge. I'm sure we made some acknowledgement of each other as I sat down next to her but I also kept to myself since she was videotaping the game. I personally don't remember many other details of that night but it is a night I am very thankful for! It was probably the only time since that I was glad she was injured. :)

While I would like to have made a bigger deal about this substantial anniversary, I have not done so; through this post or in person. Like I mentioned in my last post, my agenda is filled with so many things right now that take precedence of blogging. I have had this post in my mind for several weeks now but with little plan for its content. Unfortunately, it had to fall during a hectic schedule, yet I'm thankfully content with an acknowledgement through a brief post. I have no pictures or keepsakes from that night to remember it by but as I told Stace today, we are probably on some home video that night from a parent's video camera sitting in the stands across the gym, videotaping their child running up and down the basketball court. We may even be heard on the very tape Stace was shooting herself that night. That's weird to think that the game (which at the time had no meaningful significance) where Stace and I "met" is probably on video in someone's basement in Janesville today and that we will likely never be able to watch it. Nevertheless, I am happy that I do have the best part of that night with me today and I get to spend the rest of my life with her.

To my sweetheart and my best friend, Stacie Jo, I love you SO much!  Thank you for being mine and staying with me these past 10 years!

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Because I do these types of things and because half the basis for this blog is "time", on January 9, 2001:

-The number 1 song on Billboard's Hot 100 was "Independent Women: Part 1" (Destiny's Child)

-The number 1 song on Billboard's Country was "My Next Thirty Years" (Tim McGraw)

-The number 1 movie at the box office was "Castaway" (Tom Hanks)

-The national average for a gallon of gas was $1.45

-The price of a postage stamp was $0.34

-President Bill Clinton had 11 more days in office

-The first total lunar eclipse of the 3rd millennium occurred at 2:50pm CST (not visible in North America)