Happy Thanksgiving

When I went to school at the University of Montana, I had to work to pay for books and rent. I got a student job working as a janitor in the library. My job was to sweep and mop the floors of the library and to clean the bathrooms on the 2nd floor. It was here that I learned how much filthier the women's rooms are than the mens. -no kidding.

Anyways, I did this 5 nights a week and was paid for 4 hours of work no matter how long it took me to complete. I could get my entire work load finished in less than an hour. I would then go sit and read or write. One day I decided to sit outside the front of the library on the benches they had near the door. I sat there and wrote poetry for at least an hour and I felt completely comfortable with everything in the world. I was in the zone as they say. Completely in the moment. It was then that a pretty blonde girl walked by and smiled at me. This smile lasted forever. -This is my fleeting moment.

Now, the fleeting moment part has passed but I want to continue if you don't mind because I'm enjoying the remembrance.

The girl that smiled came in to the library often. She would always smile at me. If I knew then what I know now it wouldn't have taken me weeks to ask her her name and it wouldn't have taken months to ask her out.

I asked her out at the beginning of February. I was standing on the steps, mop in my hand and I mustered the courage to ask her. She said yes.

Our first date was a casual one, we went for a hike in the rattlesnake mountains (Missoula Mt) and talked the entire time about music, our futures and what we wanted to do. I was going to score movies and she was going to be a doctor.

Our third date was on valentines day. I was really nervous because I still hadn't kissed her and I was dangerously close to falling in to (excuse the phrase Saydrah) the "friend zone". But Laura was a nice girl and I didn't want to scare her off by being too aggressive.

So I had this dumb romantic plan that I would take her out to a nice dinner on valentines day and then as I was dropping her back off at the dorms, I would exit the car, open her door and then reach in to the car and grab a rose from the glove compartment, hand it to her while saying "happy valentines day Laura" and then we would kiss.

Dinner was great and I went to drop her off at the dorms. I got out, opened her door and then grabbed the rose out of the glove box.

The moment had arrived. For months I had thought about kissing this gorgeous girl (she was gorgeous) -I thought she could be the future Mrs. Newgreen.

With my back to her, the flower trembled in my hand, I turned around and handed it to her, leaned in for the kiss and said "Happy Thanksgiving".

YEP THAT'S RIGHT

I said Happy fucking thanksgiving. Why???? I have no idea.

Anyways, my nervous lips met her extremely confused lips in the worlds most awkward kiss. I began sweating like a madman, backed away and lost all composure. I walked to the the drivers side and said "good night".

3 years later I heard that Laura got pregnant and had to withdraw from school. I don't think she's a doctor and I've certainly never scored a film but I always remember that first smile and how excited it made me.

It's very similar to yours. There was a spot in the woods at my university that I would sometimes go to sit by myself. Once I walked to this spot after not visiting for a long time. At the moment I arrived, a great horned owl flew in and landed in a tree very close to me. I looked directly at it and it looked directly at me. He cooed loudly a couple of times, then flew away.

He was so big, and came in so fast that my adrenaline was flowing immediately. I think I decided that was all that I needed, and I walked back feeling alive.