UNFORESEEN Outcomes

1989 - Kindergarten
In my kindergarten days and throughout childhood if i'm being honest, I was relentlessly teased by my peers due to my unusually large ears. "Dumbo" was the favorite they would typically use to get my attention. I would cry and cry and cry. I did have friends, but I couldn't help feeling left out when the popular kids in class didn't readily accept me as one of their own based solely on my good looks and award winning personality. I couldn't fathom why the size of my ears had any bearing on my coolness. After all, I was the world’s most perfect boy; at least that’s what my mom says. Little did I know that this aspect of my appearance would carry on into my teenage years.

​ Fast forward to my late 30s, and my ears, hand to God, remain the same size as they were in 1989.

Looking back, I totally get it; I would have made fun of me too. Back then, my closest companions were the boys from Scouts. I vividly recall a particular field trip for school so of course I was with the guys from scouts. Private schools in the US don’t provide buses, so we relied on parents to ferry us around. On this day, I found myself sitting in a car next to a classmate I barely knew. He was one of those know -it- all's. You know the kind you find annoying because they did everything perfectly - academically speaking. We didn’t hang out nor was he one of the kids who made fun of me. He appeared utterly and miserably bored. His disinterest in the outing was palpable, as if being away from school were as thrilling as mowing the lawn or waiting in line at the DMV. I couldn't help but watch him, wondering how someone could be so unenthusiastic about being out of school during school hours. Then, out of his jacket pocket, he produced a crayon, a scrap piece of paper, and a single Lego man.

Not unlike my cat, curiosity shoved me into action; I asked, "Why do you have those in your pocket?"

He responded without missing a beat, "In case I'm ever in a situation where I'm bored, like this one. You should be more prepared in case you get bored too.”

I don't remember where we went that day or even the next encounter or for that matter ever talking to him again after that. But the emotion of sitting in that car has never left me.

It's funny how you may not remember the "why" or the "when" but one always remembers the feeling of a memory. I found this kid to be utterly tedious. I had just accurately assessed the situation at hand and was still confused as to why my psychic hotline had not yet come to fruition. However I had failed to recognize a pivotal moment; one I would remember my whole life. Looking back on that early memory, this turned out to be the first conversation I had with the kid who, 25 years later, would become the love of my life. It's been 34 years since that day and 9 years together. I'm still perceptive, he's still tedious and I wouldn't change much even if I could.