The Story of Us

If you read this blog exclusively for Jack updates, you'll want to skip this post.  This one is a history lesson - sort of.  At least it's my kind of history lesson.  To be honest, I never did very well in history class.

Six years ago today, I met Patrick.  This might not interest some of you, and many of you might already know the story, so again, skip the post.  But, it's occurred to me that these sort of things should be written down for Jack and any future children.  The story goes a little something like this.

October 14, 2004
Lee High School vs. Odessa Permian
Midland, Texas

The movie Friday Night Lights had just been released and this particular football game was going to be televised (I guess to promote the movie or something).  Patrick, his friend Jason, and Jason's girlfriend Christine, were in Midland on "business".  I don't know how much business they had scheduled or if they had simply planned to come watch the much-talked-about Lee vs. Permian game.  Christine was a high school friend of mine and called to let me know they were in town and would like to meet up.  I agreed.  That afternoon, I met the three of them in the Home Depot parking lot where Christine got in my car and we left to go shopping.  Although I only vaguely remember actually meeting Patrick, I do remember asking Christine, "Does he speak?"  At the time, Patrick was a man of few words.  I would not classify him like that now :-)
That night, we ended up at Wall Street for dinner and then Sedona Grill afterwards.  I guess by this point, Patrick and I had spent enough time around each other that we were beginning to feel more comfortable.  I told him that he had beautiful blue eyes and we were pretty much in our own world at this point.
At some point during the night, it was suggested that I should meet the three of them in Dallas one weekend and go to a Cowboys game.  I thought that sounded like a good idea, but I was in grad school at the time and was teaching a few classes at Midland College, so my schedule was a little hectic.  We talked about it for a bit and then someone suggested I fly back to Dallas with them the very next day.  I tried to think of an excuse not to go, but nothing came to mind.  I agreed.
Patrick stepped away from the table to call Southwest Airlines.  In a few moments, he came back to the table and asked, "What's your last name?"  "Brown," I said and he continued making my reservation.  What was I doing??  I've just agreed to go to Dallas with a guy that doesn't even know my last name!!
The next morning, I woke up, packed my bag and called my mom.  I think the conversation went something like, "Mom, I met a guy last night named Patrick.  He asked me to go to Dallas this weekend with him, so can you take me to the airport?"  I'm sure she was thinking WHAT??  I told her that I'd be staying with Christine and that he was the most polite guy I had ever met.  Trusting that I didn't make poor decisions, she took me to the airport.

Dallas, Texas

We landed at Love Field and I was still thinking this was a crazy thing to be doing, but oh well.  He seemed nice enough and I wasn't ready to never see him again.  The guys cooked dinner and we sat around the house and visited.  On Sunday, we went to the Cowboys vs. Steelers game.  I kept thinking that this guy was really great, but this will never work.  We live 500 miles apart.
Monday morning, he called Christine to see if it would be okay if he took me to the airport instead of her.  For all I know, this is something they "planned" but it seemed spontaneous to me.  He picked me up and we headed for the airport.  Having a few extra minutes, we stopped by Starbucks and chatted over coffee.  For a guy who started out not talking at all, he had really come around.
We arrived at the airport, parked, and walked in together.  We exchanged information, I boarded my flight, and the rest as they say, is history.

While there's a photo that does exist from the very weekend we met,
I couldn't find it.
This was from a weekend shortly thereafter.

Another early dating picture.  

I'm grateful for moments in life where the unexpected happens and changes things forever.  I can definitely say that my life has been better since that fall day in 2004.