other than that, mrs. lincoln. how'd you enjoy the show?*
kyle and i are engaged.
this is how it happened. we went to see jack’s mannequin last night in peoria, illinois. we got the tickets a few weeks ago for this show at bradley university that they were playing and i was excited to see them again plus it’s four days shy of the time we saw them last year and a week shy of our anniversary so it was just a good reminder of what is so awesome about being in love with each other. while i had no idea that kyle was proposing to me last night (he told me last week he was gonna ask my parents for permission in the summer… not like over this weekend and he told me friday that he hadn’t bought a ring yet), i knew that this was the time i wanted him to propose. i mean, if i were going to propose to me i’d have done it last night. cos it makes sense. and it wasn’t freezing like the other time i wanted him to propose or thought i would until we were at the top of the mountain and it was so so cold and i just wanted to go back down plus i would’ve passed out there. anyway. so i was watching for clues that it was going to happen last night and he was so calm in the car that i just completely ruled it out. i was positive that a man about to ask a girl to marry him would not be just calm about it and more concerned about where we would park and how we would get in…. so i was sure he wouldn’t do itl. and then…
we got to the university and watched the opening acts and then andrew came on and while he was playing and we were singing along i was thinking about how i wanted to go home and write a poem about the night. this poem which has been completely overshadowed by the later part of this story would’ve included imagery about how my favorite thing about him is that when he wrapped his arms around me during the songs i remembered it as the way i felt when he wrapped his arms around me at the show a year ago in st. louis.
i feel completely at home when he holds me. like i’ve never been safer or happier. i just feel like everything is going to be okay as long as we have each other.
so i was thinking about these things and i was thinking about how great he was and then “our song” started which is Made for Each Other (Parts I and II, cos srsly we can be greedy about our song if we want to and make it 9 minutes… it’s fine). And so it came on and he leaned down and said “I love you” and I leaned back and said “i love you too… i want to be with you forever” and then he said “me too” and he asked “Do you trust me?” and i of course said “yes” and so he was like “Let’s go up to the top” so we climbed up the seating of the athletic arena that we were in and sat down on the very top row. I was still pretty convinced he wasnt’ going to do it. I thought he just wanted to talk or sit for a bit or say that he loved me. Or maybe that he was going to push me off. As a lesson against trust. When we got up there, we sat down. It was a very clear view of the stage and you could see all of these people who were so happy to be seeing jack’s mannequin and that was nice and it was our song but we were alone in a crowded room (mwah-hahaha, references are awesome). and so we listened and then we just kissed in the best way for a little while. and i was about to remark that i felt like a 14-year-old, sneaking back to the back of a concert in a gym to make out with my boyfriend… but as i turned to him i noticed that he’d gotten down on one knee and was kind of fumbling with something and i was like “oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh” in my head. then he said some things and i thought i heard a “will you marry me?” so i said “yes” and hugged him and slid the ring on and looked at it and it was perfect and everything was perfect and then i cried cos i was so happy and we kissed and he asked if that all meant “yah” cos he hadn’t heard me when i said yes… it was so wonderful. i’m serious. i can’t think of a single thing i’d want different.
And for those of you who are interested… the ring is the one i blogged about previously from 22designstudio.com it’s called the 7 days ring and the designers began in 2006. their rings are “inspired by architecture and urban life. The main materials of the ring are cement and stainless steel. The concepts involved include many issues such as environment, texture, values and human behavior. Through touching the unique textures, wearers can experience the originality and innovativeness of this series.” The specific ring is described as “The seven sides of this ring represents the seven days of our week, infusing the designer’s reflections on daily life into this seven-sided ring. Turning the sides on and on echoes our turning of time day after day, deeply experiencing and truly living each moment of every day.” I like it because our love is different from other peoples, both that we’ve felt for other people and that other people feel for each other. So I like that the first tactile symbol of that love is unique. Also, the description that they include inside the box says “This is a ring with life. The surface color of [the ring] would become deeper and brighter, while it has been touched more and more. Also, some collisions may make several cracks. Therefore, every [ring] reflects habits of its owner. It is unique everyday, even every moment. Please enjoy its growth.” How wonderful and like love.
Also, let’s be honest. Most boys pick rings for their ladies out of 70 years of DeBeers picture books. Their engagement ring of choice is designed to maximize profit. Mine, while mass marketed, was designed to be unique and to mean something. It is a statement about life (and cement). And I think it is fantastic. When I look at it, I think about how it turns and how each day is a different one and how from yesterday forward Kyle and I will live our lives together.
The date is most likely sometime in August or December. Hopefully August cos the sunflowers will be a’blooming.