What Might Have Been...

If my Mom would've had her way, I'd be married by now. In fact by the time I was 3, she already had a wife picked out for me. Her name was Molly and she was born to my family's close friends the Wards. Our families were close in way that we called Molly's father Uncle Paul. They were part of a circle of friends that formed together and started a church in Columbus. There was something great about being a kid among these friends that joined together to start something they believed in. We always hung out together, and they were all in fact family. Any celebrations, birthdays, cookouts, we'd all be together. We were in fact one large family. I still miss that community feeling, and wonder if it even exists these days. Among this group the Wards and the Itens were the closest. I can't remember a week that we didn't get together. I still remember us learning to ride bikes together, and putting on plays for the family.

So Molly and I grew up together. I was a little over a week older than her. Since our families did everything together we were forced to hang out together. I didn't really mind even if she was a girl. Clearly, we went to the same Sunday school. We also went to the same school. We learned to ride bikes at the same time. I tried to learn to swim in her pool. We put on plays for our parents. Yes, I even played with her...ehm...cough...Barbies. Little did I know that this was all going according to my Mom's plan. Maybe she saw this as a holy union of the Wards and Itens. Maybe she just believed this was some sort of providence and it was destined to happen.

Well the holy union never happened. It probably began around second grade. She was in a different class than me. She was becoming interested in boys. I thought girls still had cooties. Plus, I was busy playing soccer and fending off those girls that wanted be to be the Luke to their Leia. There was also when my parents divorced and we moved to South Carolina. As one last hurrah my Dad, little brother, and I lived with the Wards while the whole divorce thing was ironed out.

After my tormentuous time in South Carolina we moved back to Ohio, and maybe I was given a second chance. We ended up going to the same high school for awhile, and even went to the same college. She eventually ended up marrying the other guy we grew up with: Kevin King.

It wasn't till my Mom and I heard about them getting married that she actually vocalized to me her wish that Molly and I would eventually marry. I sort of felt I perhaps let her down a little. Clearly, I had my opportunities. There was a time I was attracted to her. She found this out when I admitted my attraction under the interrogation of her little sisters. So I wonder sometimes what would've happened. Would the group of families still be together? Would I be working some office job where I have to wear a suit? Would I have kids? Would I be happier than I am now? Would I listen to the music I listen to? Would I have loved Superman Returns? Who knows? I'm sure my Mom had some ideas in her head.

I would also like to point out that even after years there is still a connection between the families that worked to start that church. More of the families than I expected showed up at either the wake for my Mom and her funeral service.

One more thing, I'd like to point out in the Halloween picture that there was a time that make up was required to make me look that white.