Serendipity.

In Freshman year, it was serendipity. I met a fellow and I could enumerate qualities about him endlessly but he was remarkably different. Knowing who I was and where I am now, I still view him in the same light. He is something else. I admire him endlessly. From the first moment I met him, he was so warm, charming, gregarious, and we hit it off as friends immediately. I saw him when my friends and I were about to leave to the Obama rally in March of 2008. My friend, much better acquainted with him than I, decided to invite him on a whim. While they talked, I remembered I had met him before!

We were trying to persuade him, and all the girls kept asking in polite ways. He was indecisive and stirring. From somewhere deep within myself, I evenly told him, "Just say yes." I smiled the biggest grin in my life while doing so, and repeated it a couple times more. He smiled and made a quip, and said, "Well. Alright. I suppose... Yes." We had an ongoing joke that night that I had used my feminine wiles on him to get him to go, and it worked. In actuality, no feminine wiles were involved, haha.

I had the best time, hanging out in line with him, talking with someone that was virtually a stranger a few hours before but becoming so comfortable and close because of such an event. We spent a good 4 hours waiting in line, listening to speeches and being entertained, getting out of there, and having to drive to and from the Toyota Center. We got back to school about 10-11 and we were famished. We invited others, but they had to travel long distances home, so we went to the Towers to eat a satisfying dinner of pizza and fries. A bit cold, but better than nothing.

I recall sitting on the benches by an elevator in the Towers, box of takeout food, and an inquisitive mind, eager to learn more about someone that just made me smile. We talked for a couple of hours. Time flew by and I was being pushed into realms of conversation I never ventured towards. We talked about our course, Human Situation, my reverence for my discussion leader, Professor Little, vocabulary, what we wanted to do in the future. I found it so funny. He talked to me about his dreams of being a classical music vocalist, his desire to meet with Dr. Harvey, and his professor Dr. Morrisson.

He insisted on walking me home and he was such a gentleman. He always, always is. He wins the award of Best Quality Time Spent. The honest to God truth is, we've only run into each other a half dozen times within the interval of time between then, and yesterday. But all those times have been random hello's in the library or brief chats at an event together. We are both very busy and gregarious. It's been 2 years since I've had a legitimate conversation that lasted more than 5 minutes.

So yesterday, I looked towards the door in the Calhoun Lofts computer lab. In my peripheral vision I saw someone wearing red, no facial features, so naturally I didn't care. This figure loomed closer and soon he was only a foot away and I couldn't believe I didn't see him at all when I recognized him and turned to look at him. I hugged him for dear life and I couldn't believe it. Out of all places. I give him the longest hug I've given in a while and I just repeat over and over again, Ohmygod! What are you doing here?!

I'm beaming. We leave our things, I leave my phone, all my possessions, my FB chat conversations open, and trust the situation and leave. It felt right. We sat in the courtyard at Calhoun Lofts, and I could hear my laughs and his echo off the buildings. It was fantastic. We caught up with our respective lives and I could not believe that I made him speechless and say on multiple occasions "where have you been all my life."

On my end, I couldn't believe someone I admire so much, and believe does have a care in the world, is really full of troubles, worry, and uncertainty about the future. :) Such a beautiful soul, so talented, so hard-working -- seriously WORRIED? I couldn't make sense of it, but I attempted to bridge the gap. I felt great.

I let him get back to his paper on Kierkegaard, and since I'm becoming great friends with his neighbor, I'll swing by and send my hellos from now on. He came by in the AM after he made significant progress on his paper and watched The Importance of Being Earnest with us.

As much as I love serendipity, I will now take personal responsibility for incorporating him into my life. Especially if he's next door to my friend's boyfriend.