A Keeper

Pinterest looks like a very fun website--I don't exactly know how it works, but you might.

Neither Bruce nor I really need a thing, nor, for that matter, do we want much. Looking around at the mall for a little something to get Bruce for our anniversary I began looking at the books displayed for sale at Urban Outfitters. If you've been there you know they have a lot of funky things, including all these toy cameras.

I've forgotten already what one is meant to do with those skulls. If you haven't been there, now you know. Anyway, there were lots of books to learn things from, or at least the short version of things. Thinking about Bruce's schedule, I realized that with such limited time for leisure, that would only make him feel bad because he would have no time to read it. It was then that I came across a book that was only for fun. Maybe you've already heard of Awkward Family Photos. I had not but I recognized immediately that it would be good for some laughs, and I mean serious laughs. I've given you the link to their web page which is filled with both new photos and their Hall of Fame. I insist that you check it out! Not only are the photos hilarious, but the captions are great. I just saw one on their site with a woman in a bed having just given birth to her first child at a birthing center. Standing by her side is a couple from the room next door, both of whom are wearing only tops, as in no underwear. When you read her description, you will never believe it.

Included in the book is a photograph of a mother and her two daughters, all dressed in plaid shirts and jeans. The poor little girl in the middle has a gigantic wet spot on the front, evidence of having peed in her pants. Her mother, who must have a serious mean streak, sent it out as a New Year's card if you can imagine! As an adult, she still hears from people how they've never forgotten that card. For sure.

Which reminded me of a story. I'm pretty sure I've never shared this before. Talk about awkward.....

Some of you know that I was a bed wetter until what I thought was 13, however, discussing this story with Bruce, he seems to think I was EVEN OLDER! So, I think I was a high school student. My parents had tried everything with no success to get me to stop, including one summer when I had to measure my urine and write it in a steno book. That's another story. This effort included a trip to a urologist who performed a cystocopy on me in the office with no anesthesia. Don't know what a cystocopy is? Well, they put a metal tube into the urethra, looking around the bladder for abnormalities. Imagine being maybe 14 and having that done. Not much fun as I recall. What really scared me though was peeing after the procedure.

This was probably when I knew that I had a "keeper" in love with me. That night we met at the football game. What I remember is that I started getting edgy the longer I waited to pee. Finally, when I guess I was getting mean, I told Bruce what I'd been through. Furthermore, I told him I was so scared I was waiting until I fell asleep to pee, then I wouldn't know if it hurt. True story my friends. That darling boy was so kind to me, never even freaking out for a minute. I told you he was amazing. To think that we married only five years later, seems incredible to me now. My mother always said, no one wets the bed once they are married and she was right. Actually, I've no clue how or when I did finally quit.

At the market on Sunday, my friend, Dr. Denver Severt came to shop. Bless his heart, he bought 13 things from me! What pray tell is he going to do with them you ask? Lord only knows. He is a UCF professor, unlike probably any teacher you've ever seen or met. I found this video online:
I've Got a Feeling  I've tried everything to embed this with no success. PLEASE click on it and see him in action.

He talks a mile a minute, saying the craziest things, jumping from topic to topic. He came to the booth around 11 in the morning, staying until 2, talking to anyone who would listen. I like Denver a lot. The thing is, he seems like he's crazy, but he's brilliant and does a lot of public speaking. Apparently, he'd given the last of the prints he'd bought from me before away to the audience member who asked the best question.

One of many questions he asked me on Sunday was, "when did you know you were different from most folks?" Thinking for a few minutes (which is hard to do with Denver around), I realized how much wetting the bed, and at times, my pants, shaped me. I rarely got to spend the night with girls except for those whose mothers were kind enough to buy plastic sheets. I smelled. My poor mother, and by extension me and my sisters because we had to do laundry. I did not form really close friendships because I was embarrassed. And then along came Bruce....wonder boy!

At the party, after the cake cutting, I asked if anyone had a toast for Beth and Ed. Getting no response, I gave an impromptu one. "Bruce and I just celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary, here's wishing one for Beth and Ed!" Cheers! Trish told me a month or so earlier that for their wedding gift they hoped I would photograph Doggy and Super Banana. Say what?

Childhood friends. Have you ever seen a stuffed banana before? Much less one with a cape! The canvas turned out pretty darn cute. Which makes me think that we're all kind of different in our own way.

What I'm really trying to say is that am I ever glad that Bruce thought I was a "keeper" too.