Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Reading a lot these days

I've been doing my usual: something heavy, something fluffy and back again.  Last night was a fluffy night and I read "Plain Truth" by Jodie Picoult. 

Alright, not entirely fluffy as it dealt with infanticide at an Amish farm in Pennsylvania. 

Anyhoo, I stayed up far too late, finished the book and then lay awake thinking of that line in the book that *got* me -- you know, the one you wish you wrote, the one line that says it all.  In this book, the line was about finding that "one" person that time stands still when you are with them.

I can remember only one moment like that in my life.  It stands out because it was as though we were the only people in the room, although we were surrounded by classmates, our professor and some pretty quizzical looks when it was all over.

He was a guy I'd had a crush on forever ... never followed through on that one, always the wrong time, as he and I were always involved with someone else when the other was free. 

It was an ordinary fall afternoon, we were taking the same political science class.  For some reason, the prof asked us all to pair off and dance for a minute ... for the life of me I cannot remember why.  There was music, there was dancing and then the music was over, and we were still looking at each other and talking, lost in our own world.  I remember the professor asking us if we were through, and my blush taking over my whole body, let alone my face.

The earth literally stopped moving that day, that hour, that moment.*

He's married now.  Looks like he's happy -- and I'm glad for him.  He deserves happy.

I just wonder if the earth stopped moving for him that day too.


*there are times, like now, that I wonder if that moment will ever come to pass for me again.  I was 21, going on 22.  I'm approaching 37 now.  Fifteen years and I still think about that moment.  I've never had another moment like that since.  Will I find another that will stop time for me?  Will I find another that I want to stop time for? 

2 comments:

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

You'll have that moment again. I thought I'd never get there again either, but I think I'm having it with someone, but the timing is absolutely crappy. Still, I'm very glad I can still feel it.

Aleea said...

Thanks Ken, for responding to my blog. Yours is one I follow regularly (I met Cherry Ride through some friends in Indy -- you might ask to see pics of that fateful Bag Lady Tour for evidence).

I hope to feel it again. If nothing else I have, I have hope.