Saturday, June 12, 2010

World Cup 2010

It's Saturday afternoon in the middle of a full weekend and Jude and J.P. are upstairs, napping.  I'm watching the World Cup, USA vs. England, and having a Yazoo Hefeweizen.  1-1 in the second half.

As I watch what is actually a pretty exciting soccer match, I'm reminded that 12 years ago, during World Cup 1998, Jude and I started dating.  I vividly remember watching a soccer match during that World  Cup, with Jude, at a house in West Nashville where Jon Meade and his cousin, Dave "Salsa" Torrell (ultimate frisbee players, both) lived.  Of course, years later, Jon married Carley Farley, our nanny.  

Anyway, the house where we watched the soccer match was unusual, to say the least.  It was, essentially, an efficiency apartment, in a house.  The bathroom was outside, on the deck.  What I remember most, though, is sitting there watching soccer (a strange move for me then, to say the least) with a group of people, ultimate frisbee players, that were essentially strangers to me at that point, wondering what in the hell I was doing.  I was bored, but intrigued by the people, but mostly by Jude.  

It's ironic, of course, that 12 years later, Jude and I are married and have a son.  In addition, some of the people who were there, watching the soccer match, are some of my dearest friends.  That's the thing about life . . . you never really know where it will lead you.  An event that, at the time, can seem rather insignificant, can turn out to be pretty important, years later.

The bottom line, for me, is that I'm so lucky to have met Jude (thanks Peter Klett), 12 years ago.  I knew her, but I didn't know her, if you get what I mean.  We've shared so many good times together and I've met so many people, who are now my close friends, through Jude.  I've grown as a person and I've become much more open minded and accepting of others than I was before I started dating Jude.  I've had experiences - experiences I will treasure as long as I live - through my relationship with Jude.  For that and for those things, I'm eternally grateful.

Still 1-1 late in the second half, by the way.   

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