Instant Connections

Have you ever met someone that instantly became a friend?
That you felt like, even though you just met them, you have known them forever and could tell them just about anything?

I met someone like that this week...

Now, if you don't know me, you should know that I hold conversations with others easily... My bestie says I have never met a stranger and is convinced that is the reason why so many guys think I'm "the one" after the first date.

But, you see, just because they think that, doesn't mean I do...

Wait. Wait.  This post wasn't supposed to be about dating...  It's supposed to be about connections...

You know...Those undeniable, 'Are you sure we have only known each other 2 days?', 'I could hang out with you forever and never get bored.' connections.

Those connections that you wonder, "How was this person not in my life before?" and "How can I already miss someone who wasn't in my life less than a week ago?

If I believed in it, I would say we knew each other in a past life.
What I do believe though is that people are sent into your life for a reason... and feeling like I already knew them might have a purpose later on??

It could be him.... Right??

A few years back I wrote a post about a new dad that met in my local grocery store.
While he and I talked about our lives, he mentioned that maybe one day his kids would have me as a teacher.  We then talked about where he lived and I told him that was not in the school district I taught at.

That was 3 years ago.

Now, each morning, as I drive to school, I see a dad sitting out waiting for the school bus holding his young son - probably kindergarten age. Sometimes they are playing. Sometimes they are just embracing. Sometimes they are pointing out the cars that go by.

The first time I saw them, without thinking, I waved to them.

Now... I can't pass by them without waving.

Each morning, I see the inquisitive look on the father's face trying to place how he knows me.

I know he doesn't know me... I just can't stop myself... because a huge part of me believes he is that new dad that I met 3 years ago.

When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen. Ernest Hemingway

When I was young, I was often told that I was "an old soul" as I would sit around listening to the grown ups talk.
I was shy, but observant.
I would occasionally interject when something was said that didn't make sense to my young mind, but overall, I would just sit and listen and watch.

I wonder now if that is why I can hold a conversation with just about anyone... because at a young age I learned how important it was to listen.
Some of my most meaningful conversations don't seem to be with people my own age any more... they come from listening to little ones... viewing the world through eyes of wonder.  Or by listening to those older than me who have a smile on their face no matter what even when I hear them tell their life story it sounds like it was a constant struggle.

I was reminded yesterday how truly important it is to listen.
You see... I "officially" met Sonny yesterday.
Sonny is an elderly gentleman that works at our local amusement park.
He sells frozen lemonade.
I met him about 3-4 years ago.
I was having a rough day at the park that day.
I think Sonny was also having a rough day... or maybe a better word would be mundane.
I stood and watched Sonny as I waited in line. His head was dropped. He barely made eye contact with his customers because they definitely didn't give him two seconds of their time. They would order, plop their money down, take their drink and leave. Over and over again I watch this.

So, when it was my turn, I stopped and looked Sonny straight in the eye, smiled, and said, "I just want you to know that I make it a point to come to your stand every time I am here.  I don't like that fake stuff the other vendors sell."


Immediately light came to Sonny's eyes. We stood and talked several minutes. You could tell that no one truly stopped and talked to him. When I tried to pay, he waved my money away. I held out my hand to thank him. He took my hand in his and told me he should be thanking me.

This scene has been going on repeatedly since that time. Any time we go to the amusement park, I make it a point to go to Sonny's stand. I make it a point to stand and talk with him a while and listen to how things are with him.

I realized though at the end of the season last year that I didn't know this gentleman's name.  Someone that I "knew" and he "knew" me and we didn't know each other's names.

So, yesterday when I was there, I greeted Sonny warmly (like I always do) and then I explained that I felt rude for not stopping to take the time to ask him what his name was after all this time. He took my hand in his, smiled genuinely at me and said, "Sonny. Sonny is my name... and I want to thank you for always stopping by to see me." I then introduced myself and told him the pleasure was all mine.

We stood and talked for quite some time. I made sure I took the time to listen... just in case I was the only one who did.

What channel is ESP on again?

So I went to a military ball with DP…

As we were driving to the base, we turned down this road...  A road I had seen in one of my dreams before.  It really freaked me out because in this particular dream, when we came to the crossroads, a diesel truck sideswiped my car.  

I reminded DP of my dream.  

He was sweet in making sure he took the crossroads with care. 

Thankfully we didn’t come across any pumpkin patches (which was the next part of my dream.)

The thing is… I couldn’t get it out of my head all weekend.

I’ve been having a LOT of occurrences lately where my sixth sense has been kicking in… and then something significant has been happening because of my reaction to it.

Makes me wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t had SUCH a strong reaction/remembrance of my dream…

And the scene unfolds

I truly believe this.

Today, this scenario played out by my school.

The neighbor of one of our teachers called to say the teacher's dog was out.

The teacher left school quickly to go take care of her dog before the pound picked it up or it was killed.

One of our night time janitors was on his way to work.

Right in front of the teacher, the janitor swerved and hit a light pole. (he had a heart attack)

As the teacher pulled over to check on the wreck, the other night time janitor came around the corner.

As the other night time janitor began CPR, the teacher called our assistant superintendent.

Our assistant superintendent, called 911 as he rushed to the scene.

The assistant superintendent and the other night time janitor continued CPR

Within 8 minutes of the accident, a medevac helicopter arrived.

The crazy part of all of this is ....

• Had the teacher not gotten the phone call about her dog, she wouldn't have been there to witness the accident. They were not driving on a main road.


• Had the accident occurred 100 feet down the road, the teacher, nor the other janitor, would have come in contact with the accident.


• The janitor and the assistant superintendent are fully CPR certified. The teacher was not.


• The assistant superintendent was out of his office and was just a couple of minutes away from the crash site and was able to be on scene within 2 minutes.


• The medevac port is just minutes away from the crash site.

Call it kismet... Call it fate... call it destiny...
...but everything happens for a reason

Release me

So... I'm convinced that yesterday's 30 days of truth was preparing me for today.

God has a funny way of doing that for us sometimes.

You see, B.P. texted me today.
(He has been going through a self-seeking spiritual journey as of late.)

He asked me if he could tell me something very important... he then went on to tell me that because of how deeply hurt he was in his marriage, how he was no good to anyone because, as of right now, he was not in a good place himself, and because of this he couldn't continue on with this "relationship" we have where he felt like he was sending me mixed messages.

...and then he released me.


He told me that he would no longer be contacting me.


Don't get me wrong... I'm upset.
I don't like to lose friends... especially when I don't understand all the reasoning behind it.
...But in the same sense, he didn't leave me to wonder why he fell off the face of the earth.

I think it was karma that it happened on the day after my post yesterday... because B.P. doesn't know my blog address... and it made me realize, I am ready to release him as well.


“Sincere forgiveness isn't colored with expectations that the other person apologize or change. Don't worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time.” ~Sara Paddison

My life is a Lifetime Movie

So, Thursday, my ex calls me. He tells me that him and W. are done.
He explains all the drama that is going on in their relationship.
I lend a listening ear.
He then says that he thinks she has been cheating on him.

(Part of me thinks it is karma... but the other part of me feels sorry for him.)

He says "it's fine".

I stop him in mid-sentence.

I tell him it is not fine! Never once is someone cheating on someone else, fine!

He says he is sorry... that he knows he hurt me.

I blow it off and continue with my rant...
I wanted him to know someone cheating on him (even though he did it to me.) is not, nor never will be, fine.

Then, Friday, it is homecoming. My boys are in the homecoming parade. Their team is riding on a float. I am standing around taking pictures.

As the parade gets ready to begin, the driver of the truck asks me if I would like to ride up front so as to not be left behind.

"Sure." I say... The guy looks familiar. I "know" lots of people from the school that my ex teaches at... I just don't always "know" who they are. I'm guessing he must be a dad of one of the players...

He and I hold polite conversation. He mentions that maybe he should get together some hay bales and have a hayride later this fall. I respond with, "Yeah... that sounds like fun."

About that time, someone watching the parade shouts, "Hey Mike!" and waves.

Like a wrecking ball knocking me over, I realize whom I am sitting next to... W.'s dad.

My ex's girlfriend's (ex-girlfriend?) freakin' dad!!!!!!!!

Yeah... I'm sure there are people out in the world that are okay with all these cross connections... I'm not sure I am one of them.


Who wants the starring role in this Lifetime drama?? ...cause I don't.

Accessing Prior Knowledge

I met a new guy on match.
From his profile, he meets the things on my list...

Christian... check
Tall enough... check
Family oriented... check
job... check
non-smoker...check
witty...check
outgoing...check


We emailed... then texted... and then we started talking.
All good... right?
Sure... if he isn't who I think he is.
See... he told me his job. It's not a job you hear of everyday.
He asked me if I knew any teachers from his town. (I do. I used to teach there.)



My brain starts reeling.
Who do I know that has had this job?... I know of someone...???

Then it clicks! I do know someone with this job...Someone that cheated on his wife with a former colleague of mine (she is someone I am no longer in contact, but she is one that I taught with from his town.) I never met the guy she cheated with...I just heard her swoon his name daily.


But his name isn't the name of the cheater... (I'm semi-relieved, but still not satisfied.) I mean, I don't always remember names... but if I heard the right name I know I would recognize it!

So, I head to bed last night not remembering the name of the cheater... but knowing it does not match his.


I wake up this morning with the answer... His name has a nickname... She(my colleague) called him by his nickname not his actual name.


I will not date a cheater!! I have been hurt by one before... and don't care to travel down that road again!!


So....How do I ask him without asking him?


I don't want to accuse... because I really don't know for sure this is the same guy!!
But I also don't think I would have put all of the connections together if he wasn't.
Maybe this is God's way of helping me out... keeping me away from these types of guys...


Call it curiosity... call it stupidity... call it what you will, but I decided I to keep his invitation for a date...

I decided that one question could answer all of mine.

He had mentioned briefly in a phone conversation that he knew some teachers.
So that was my one question...
"So, you mentioned you knew some teachers, what are the names of the teachers that you know?"
(An innocent question... that is if there is nothing to hide...)

He turned all shades of red, looked down at the table, and was quiet for quite some time. Then stumbling over his words as he said, "Uh...um...well... you know...uh... just the teachers my boys had in school."

Yeah... question answered.
Next....

The good and bad of it...

Okay...like I said this is my therapy. I tried to start my day, but with all of these thoughts swirling around my brain, I decided I might as well get it out.

I tried to revel in my day as being the SITS Featured blogger... but all around me things seemed to be crumbling.


I made a 2 hour round trip to appear in court for a student's custody battle only to be told that the decision was already made and I wouldn't be needed. ( Not that I minded not going on the stand, but it would have been nice to know before traveling that distance!)

I got a call from my friend who had an affair on her husband. She had revealed it to him. I tried to be supportive... but it was hard considering I don't condone what she had done.

The ac guy finally shows... only to tell me my compressor went out~ i.e. $1800. Yuck!!!!!!!!!!! ...and today it is supposed to hit 90*.
He told me he would call me back this morning to tell me if it was under warrenty. I went to bed praying that it was. What else could I do? So... he calls back to say that it is BUT the company that sold it is out of business SO I would still have to pay $800 to cover shipping and handling fees.
All I can think is it's better than $1800... there goes our vacation money though. :(

My soon-to-be divorced friend just found out that her house is being foreclosed on her and it will be put up for auction next Tuesday.

And...I have this mysterious rash that has appeared all up and down my fingers that has decided to come and go for the last few days...
I googled it. It's hives. I think they first appeared the day Spencer (my ex-boyfriend) friend requested me on Facebook... and they have stuck around because he keeps texting me.

All of these things make me wonder, if in order for the world to stay balanced, since I was getting so much love yesterday, did I also have to have some pain too??

Digits, a new dad, a dance, and a date

There are so many things that have been rolling through my head the last few days that I have thought, "Oh, when I have time to sit down... I'm gonna blog about that!" But instead I have been cleaning and cooking and baking and cake decorating...and that is what I have been doing when I'm not at work teaching. Seriously, getting ready for a birthday party is hard work!

So here are the things I have wanted to share:

Digits
My son, Colby, is the sweetest of sweet kids(his teacher even says it's so). He has a ton of friends and he is one of those kids that is in the center of it all, but also has a heart of gold. (Yes, I realize I am his mom...)

So, on Wednesday, a mom called to RSVP for the boys' b-day party. She said if she could find a ride for her daughter, she would be there.

The next morning, as I was driving to school, I was talking to Colby on the phone.
Me: "Colby, L's mom called. I will call her back tonight because I forgot to write down her number."
C: "Oh...do you need it mom? "Cause L. gave it to me. I have it right here in my book bag."

Seriously????
My son is turning seven...seven, people!!! and he is already getting girls' digits???
I'm not ready for this!!

A new dad
I shop in the same grocery store every time. I know a lot of people. Sometimes... people say that I have never met a stranger.

On Thursday, I was doing all of the shopping for the boys' party. I am standing and waiting for meat from the deli counter.
Behind me is a man also waiting. But as he waits, I watch him continuously eyeballing the cinnamon rolls on a table beside us.
Finally, smiling, I say to him, "Oh, go ahead and get you some...you know you want to!"
He smiles back and responds, "Well, it would be an easy breakfast...and I have a newborn at my house."

Within seconds, we were talking about kids, sleep-less nights, and when to start potty training (he also has a 2 year old). It was as if I had met up with an old friend and we were catching up on each other's lives. Then he pulled out his iPhone and showed me pictures. My boys were at the bakery counter staring at cakes...I pointed them out. Throughout the rest of our shopping trip, we kept running into one another on different aisles, each time sharing a little more about our lives. At one point, he asked what I did. I told him I taught. He said, "Well, maybe one day, my kids will get to have you as a teacher."

I believe people come into our lives for a reason. Nothing is happenstance. Just haven't quite figured out why I met this overly tired, proud father of two... but I'm sure one day I will figure it out.

A dance
On Friday, we had a fun-filled day to celebrate the ending of our state testing. The kids needed a break...and we, teachers, needed a break! Part of our day was a dance.

Now, mind you, these are third graders at a dance.
In the weeks prior, I heard of dress buying and dates. I (along with the other third grade teachers) tried to make it very clear that this was not the type of dance that they were thinking of...this was not a prom! I even had to answer, "What type of punch will be served?" "No, punch. No dates. Just fun dancing!" I said.

However, most of our talk was not heeded. Girls showed up in fancy new dresses and high heels. Boys showed up in dress shirts and ties. They did listen to us on the dates part though.

Everyone had a great time dancing as a group. We, teachers, even joined in. In fact, I think we had a better time than the kids...and, no, I will not be sharing pictures.

A date
So...I have been talking to a new guy. Actually it has been for 2 weeks now. My friends have been giving me a hard time saying, "Are you two ever going to go on a date?" but actually... I was okay with the fact we hadn't. We have been getting to know each other. Plus, he also has kids at home, so finding a night we are both free hasn't exactly been easy.

So, last night, it finally worked out for the both of us.
We didn't really have any set plans. Strangely enough, I was okay with that.
We found a quiet spot to sit and talk. Rain poured down outside, and we poured out our stories to one another... the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Neither one of us want to rush into a relationship... so we agreed to take it one day at a time.
So...here's to the days ahead.