Signals, Jerry, Signals

Today marks an anniversary for Dave and I. It was 4 years ago that we went on our first date. It is so funny to think about now, all the awkwardness and the excitement. I saved all our old emails and all the emails that I sent about him, and I was fishing through them trying to find some good dirt.

We didn’t exactly have the easiest time getting together. We met in May of 2002 when my good bud John Robinson was moving from Newnan up to Atlanta. I showed up to help on a whim and Dave was there. He had been attending Intown for 6 months, but we had never met. He was quoting Princess Bride and I thought he was funny. Later that weekend we played football and after the game the whole group came to my house to grill out. He wrote my address on his shoe and Jess Ringsmuth thought it was a sure sign of his interest.

Two rather painful months passed. “Signals, Jerry, signals” as George would say.

In mid-July his friends, David and Eowyn Stoddard came into town and since I worked at MTW and they were missionaries with MTW, Dave asked me to join them for dinner. Shortly after that “date” I received a cryptic email trying to explain his intentions…

I don’t know if you know that I am very frank. So let me be. I am not looking for a buddy. I am not looking for a girlfriend. I desire to know you better in group situations, and want to see your passions articulated to other people and me. I don’t want you to be scared or uncomfortable around me. But I will ask you hard questions on occasion. Other times I’ll just say things to make you laugh. Know that my interest is to know the deeper ami better. Don’t think about down the road, or even tomorrow. Enjoy today. If you want to talk to me about this, don’t hesitate, cause I want you to be able to articulate yourself to me too.
Sincerely, dave

I tried to decode the message but to no avail, so we met for coffee. He was elusive and I wanted answers. I finally laid down the law. I told him that I had enough friends, I didn’t need anymore, and if he only wanted to be my friend he could just stay away. Since he never claimed feelings one way or another I figured that I was still in the running, but I just wanted to be clear that I wasn’t going to let him play games with me.

A week later I was in NY visiting my college buddies Elaine and Jen. I bought a “Make Him Want a Date” outfit, which I wore the next time I saw him, and the following morning I had this email waiting for me at work.

Did I tell you I am frank?

If you would be opposed to me asking you out on a one-on-one venue, please let me know, cause I intend to ask you face to face. And I would rather not have the awkwaaaaaard………………….pause if that is the case.
Talk to you later, dave

On our first date we went to dinner at a little French café in Decatur, Café Alsace (I think that is especially cool now, because we live just 45 minutes from Alsace, France), and then to Fernbank where he spilled his guts about how he liked me, and was going to keep asking me out. And here we are 4 year later, married, living in Europe with our beautiful daughter, Hadleigh. These last 4 years have been the craziest, most awesome, most incredible years of my life. Being with Dave has been amazing.