Speaking of Dating, Let's Do! (Speak, that is - about dating)

We decided to do a co-post this time – a conversation, rather than an individual post. 

Enjoy!


Jenni: So what should we talk about?

Chas: I don't know. What do you want to talk about?

Jenni: How about our first date?

Chas: Sure.

Jenni: One of the things I remember is that it was a unique date – not dinner and a movie, or bowling (which are also fun, but it gave me a good first impression about you.)

Chas: Yeah, and it wasn't extravagant or costly. We just had a group date picnic in a park, and then went to my house to play games, but some of the others ditched us, so we just gabbed on the front lawn until it was time to go home.

One of the things that impressed me about you, and made it a ton easier on me, was how when I dropped you off, you said, “That was fun. Let's do it again sometime!”

I think I responded something like, “I'll see to it!”

The reason that was so great was that I didn't have to stress at all about whether or not you would be willing to go out again. You'd told me right there that you wanted to, and it wasn't in any way too forward.

Jenni: And it was easy for me! I didn't have to worry about sending signs or hints and having them misunderstood. I REALLY wanted you to ask me out again so I made sure you understood that.

Chas: Yeah, and I REALLY wanted to ask you out again. With most girls, the drive home after the date was always torturous, because I would stress and weigh everything that was said, done, thought – so that no matter how great the date went, by the time I got home I was sure I had bombed it. But the ride home after our first date felt great!

Jenni: I was really glad, months later, when you asked if you could kiss me instead of trying to subtly tell me or just moving in. You just asked, “Can I kiss you?” That made it SO much easier to tell you no!

Chas: Yeah. If I had just gone in for the kill and been brushed off, I might have thought you didn't like me. Instead, you simply said something like, “I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet.”

The fact that you said, yet, meant I just had to be patient. If I hadn't asked, you wouldn't have answered, and it would have made for an uncomfortable situation for both of us.

Jenni: The rest of the date would have been super awkward, if we hadn't talked like that. Since we did, the rest of the date was great! You felt good because you knew that I still liked you and would probably let you kiss me someday, and I felt good that I hadn't been pressured to go further that I felt comfortable.

Chas: The funniest part about that day was that as we walked away from the scene, we passed a big wall with graffiti that said, “REJECTED!!!”

Jenni: LOL! The fact that we both laughed at that was awesome!

Chas: Oh, boy! Can you imagine how our relationship would have been if we didn't laugh at almost everything?

Jenni: It could have been a major breaking point for our relationship.

Chas: Instead, it became a great inside joke!

Jenni: Which we're now sharing with all of you!

Laughing has done a ton for our relationship. Being able to laugh at the silly, awkward things that we did – and still do.

Chas: Yeah. I've noticed that even on a horrid day, when the kids are driving us both bonkers, if one of us can just find one thing to laugh at, it dominoes into a much better day.

Jenni: And we've got a lot of great things to laugh about from when we were first dating. Like my little tongue move! :)

Chas: LOL!

Just to clarify to all you out there – no, she's not talking about French kissing. Jenni licked a pole on the playground in mid-winter. Just like in the Christmas Story. We can testify it really works!

Jenni: It hurts too! I did so many dumb things to try to impress you.

Chas: And they worked marvelously! Like the time we got a couple waters with straws. We were walking through an outdoor mall, and suddenly I was hit in the side of the face with a straw-full of water! You can guess where it came from. It started a water fight. Good times!!!

Jenni: That was fun! We should do that again sometime, we can even teach the kids how!

Chas: Okay, but next time I'm bringing a Jamba Juice straw.

Jenni: That's ok, as long as I get Chunker on my team, I think he's the slobberiest of the kids. He probably wouldn't even need a cup of water!

Chas: AWESOME!