Just My Luck

It was 1991, and I was a reckless teenager. After a long relationship, (11 months, that's like forever in teen time!) with a total loser, I began bouncing from boyfriend to boyfriend, (including a 24 yr old married guy, yikes! lucky his wife didn't kill me!) a week with this one, a month with that one, now I'm talking to this one, you get the picture. 

Bear was a guy in my 1st period science class. He was the senior that was always late, with the messy hair, that always seemed to still be sleeping when he came walking in, in the middle of class. He sat on the other side of the very large classroom, so I didn't know him, but, without fail, when he walked in, his friends sang his name in unison, as if he was Norm walking into Cheers.

In February, the science department went on a field trip to Kennedy Space Center. I wasn't particularly excited about the destination, and I only had one friend going with me, but, any day out of class, is a good day. Right?!

My friend Dan and I sat on the back of the bus on the way there. It was totally boring and lame, so he suggested we move up by his friends. And, that's how I met Bear. Bear was part of that group of guys.

We hung out all day roaming around the space center. Bear took my hat, he splashed water on me from the leaky bus window, I "accidentally" sat on him, you know the usual flirty playful stuff. It was on the way home that someone suggested that Bear take me to prom. I was so excited to go to prom with a senior! I couldn't wait! But, he never asked. 

Bear and I talked occasionally for the next few months, but never more than a few words. When year books came out, he asked me to sign it. I signed "It's been fun, remember the leaky window, have a nice life." He would be spending the summer in boot camp, and I had no reason to expect to see him again.


With all my goofing off, I had been lucky to not get caught skipping class, but I had failed English and was sentenced to hard time in Summer School.

I dragged myself to class, practically sleepwalking, wanting so much, to still be in bed. And who was sitting there?! Bear! He, too, failed English, and was stuck in summer school. He needed the class to graduate, and so the Navy would have to wait. It was during summer school, that we became best friends.

We still playfully flirted. And I, being the young stupid girl, that I was, made up some story about this guy I was seeing, wanting to marry me, and blah, blah, blah...All little lies in hopes of making him jealous. (this does not work, ladies, so don't try it!) After school, we talked for 5-6 hours on the phone, about anything and everything, sports, my "boyfriend", his old girlfriends. It was a great summer.

But, too soon, Summer ended, and back to school I went.

After a stupid little argument we stopped speaking. It would be months before he finally called me, and lucky for me he did, we picked up right where we left off, talking for hours on the phone. Eventually, we realized that we were spending more time talking to each other than anyone else, and there was a movie, some flirting, and finally, finally...a kiss!


2 Weeks later, he asked me to marry him, and...


All these years later, I've never had much luck with winning prizes, and certainly I've never won the lottery, but luck was with me when I failed my favorite subject, walked into Summer school, and found a best friend and soul mate. It doesn't get any luckier than that!
♪I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend♪ (Jason Mraz)

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Bookieboo and "Earthies Wants You to Feel Lucky" blogging program, making me eligible to win a pair of Earthies shoes and American Express Gift Cards. For more information on how you can participate, click here.


3 comments:

  1. Aww that's the cutest story! Funny how things just have a way of happening like that.

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  2. thanks! for sharing.

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  3. I just love sweet real life love stories like that! You are very lucky (as am I)--best wishes to you and bear for many many years to come

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