9 Years Ago, In A City Not So Far Far Away......

9 years ago today, Fall was beginning to crawl over the trees in Fort Wayne Indiana, the air smelled like a cold glass of water, and the sky held off the night with a shade of baby blue.

9 years ago today, was a Thursday. Gas prices were $1.19 for a gallon of unleaded (or around that). A gallon of milk was between $2.00 - $2.35 depending on where you lived. A loaf of Bread was less than $.90 cents, depending where you lived.

9 Years ago today, the buzz on the streets was Star Wars, it had made it's return to the big screen earlier that year with the release of Episode 1 The Phantom Menace, kids were shopping for costumes, there were long lines at the haunted house across from the church.

9 years ago today, Becca and I had our first OFFICIAL first date.

I say official because i had it in my head that it didnt count as a date until i drove in my car. I had just returned from Utah earlier that week, and asked becca out. We planned on Thursday because one of us or both of us had to work on Friday. I had it all planned.

I picked her up at her Mom's house, and brought flowers for her, and her Mom, (man I am good) The flowers were respectful, nothing over the top like a red rose, but enough to get the point across that this wasn't a "just as friends" date.

We went to Tacaoka of Japan. It was a little hard to have a private conversation, seeing as though there were four other people sitting around the grill with us. But it was a blast watching them cook our food, tell jokes, and laugh together. I had the steak, Becca had the chicken. The restaurant was Becca's idea, she said it was a fun place to eat, but expensive, so I knew I had to take her, she pretty much called me out on that one.

After dinner we went miniature golfing at Putt Putt. She kicked my butt of course, I would later find out that she didnt like to loose, so I scored points and didnt even know it.

At the end of the night, but the beginning of something else all together, we ended up at a tank in Johnny Appleseed Park The picture on the website doesn't do it justice, when we went there the tank had big, big, bushes around the tank, but we'll get to that later. After Putt Putt I didnt want the date to end, I suggested some place to talk, Becca said that she and her friends used to go there to hang out. I thought it would be cool. We got up on top of the tank,and held hands and looked at the sky. We asked questions, and talked of dreams, made jokes, and well, got cold.

We decided to leave for the night, and me being the Rico Suave I am, decided to scoop Becca off the tank and put her on the ground. Ya know, to impress her! I got off the tank first, now I need to explain something before I go on, the tank sat on a big slab of cement, and as I mentioned before, was surrounded by bushes, bushes that happened to be wet. So, I got down off the tank first, and scooped Becca up in my arms and looked at her eyes, then all of a sudden we were falling, I had forgot the tank was up on that slab of cement, lost my footing, and both Becca and I were heading right into the bushes. Becca got the worst of it , she was partially soaked. I stood up, I think a cuss word or two might have slipped out, and I helped Becca out, red as can be, apologizing like crazy. She was laughing it off, i was still upset, trying to brush the wetness off of her pant leg, she put her hands on my cheeks to get my attention, and told me it was OK. And that is when it happened.

Her hands came down off of my cheeks, we looked at each other as everything seemed to slow down to a crawl, I had heard about moments like this, but never felt one in my life, her eyes just kept going, they hypnotized me, they begged me to come closer. 9 years ago today, October 14, 2009, I kissed my wife for the very first time, not just any kiss, this was THE kiss. The this is the one kiss, the there is no second best compared to her kiss. The feel it in your gut kiss.

Becca, it has been you ever since, I know this every day, when I look at you and still fall in love. I am reminded of this every time I tell this story, and feel my heart pound, and I get perma smile. I am reminded of this when I see you concerned about me, put up with my faults, and encourage me to be a better person. I am reminded of this, when I see you with our children. I love you, from October 14, 1999 up until right now, and for time and all eternity.

By the way, for those of you who are wondering, the date ended on that high note, I took her home, and yes, gave her a nice kiss and said good night.

October 14, 1999, an unforgettable day.

Love,
Erick