Sunday, August 26, 2007

Sunday morning laziness

It was really sweet of Vicky to send people over here. I am a big fan of her blog and she really inspired me to start this one. Now I have a whole bunch of new ones to read thanks to the people posting here!

It's really early Sunday and although I'd love to have slept a bit longer, Bentley had other ideas. During the week we get up just a bit before 4 am. I have to be to work at 6 am and I have medication I need to take at least an hour before I eat anything. So, that makes for an early morning. But truth is, I don't really mind. I like getting up early, it's just going to bed that is sometimes a problem. My hours are so different from Jason's that sometimes it's a hassle.

My boyfriend moved out here from Tennessee to be with me. He's a sweetheart and had been my best friend for 3 years before things turned romantic. I'd never thought of having a romantic relationship with a friend before. I sort of had this odd unconscious rule that friends were friends and lovers were something completely different. Jason knew everything about me, even before we met in person (we met playing an on-line game). I told him things I would have never told a potential romantic partner. Not that I would lie to someone I was thinking of dating, just that...well... I wouldn't have been so free with the 'warts' of my personality, if you know what I mean. So, he knew all of me... the ugly and the good.

So, when my last relationship broke up, Jason was my rock. He listened to my pain and helped me through it, as a friend. Then something just changed... he told me he'd loved me for a long time but never said anything because of my other relationship. And one thing just led to another and now I am with the greatest guy in the world.

I think the best thing about our relationship is that I never feel I have to edit myself around him. I know that I can be who I am and he will be fine with that, because he already knows. It's a really freeing feeling. It also makes me look back on all the relationships and the one marriage I've had and see how I never really had true love in return before. Although I had to wait a very long time for this man, I'm glad that he's here in my life now.

We don't agree on everything, he has some pretty interesting opinions. He likes Silicon Valley and says it's right where he needs to be for his career, but it's interesting watching the shock to the system that the Southern boy has had.

He complained often about how 'rude' people here are. At first, I didn't know what he was talking about. I never thought people were rude. So, I asked him and I now understand that there is a very big culture shift from the South to the North. After talking to him about it, I can understand what he means. It's little things. When people hold open doors for others, the person walking through the door will often say nothing. No simple 'thank you'. Clerks in shops will ask how people are, but those being served don't ask back how the clerk is. There are a ton of other little things like this.

I've never considered things like this to be rude, because...well...that's just how it is here, but I can see what he means and it got me thinking about how those little kindnesses could make a difference to someone.

So, I've decided that I'll try a little bit of that Southern courtesy. It certainly takes nothing away from me, and maybe it will make someone else's day a bit brighter.

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