Totes

You are totes never going to believe this story!  It is a long one, but so worth it in the end!

Yeah.  I said totes.

Do I sound like a 16 year old girl yet?  I actually hate the word "totes" used in this fashion.  Although I laugh every time Amy says it to me. She swears she only says it for my benefit.  And in that case I don't mind.

But since we are on the topic of 16 years olds, let me tell you a story about a girl I know.  She is sixteen  (of course).  She has blonde hair and lots of friends. She gushes over cute boys at school and what the weekend plans hold.  She is outwardly confident but carries herself in a way as to not spark too much attention in her own direction for fear it might cause unnecessary embarrassment.  On the inside she is much more shy.  Too shy most of the time.  She feels awkward and insecure in situations that are new or uncontrolled.

She is me. Circa 1999.

In 1999 I spent a lot of time with my good friend Amy.  In fact I spent much of my days, evenings and weekends throughout high school with her.  We were tight.  Still are.  Amy was and still is reader.  She would finish books at lightning speed.  I was usually around somewhere trying desperately to coerce her into putting her book down and pay attention to me.  Sometimes it worked. Sometimes not.  I, on the other hand, was not a reader.  Still not, although I try to force it sometimes.  Anyways, back in 1999 she had finished a book (The Search for Wallace Whipple) and told me I had to read it because it was so funny.  I took the book, looking at it's orange cover and its 300 some odd pages and wondered if I would ever finish such a long book.  I took it home and began to read it.  I moved ever so slow, because that was my pace.  Slow.

To my surprise I was falling in love with this book with every page.  It was about a 16 year old boy who wrote down the day's events in his journal.  He was awkward and funny.  He was kind to others and sometimes shy.  He was everything I was, only more of it.  So I could relate.  He was more awkward.  More shy.  More funny.  More kind.  But nevertheless we were the same in a lot of ways.  One day I finally finished the book and Amy and I laughed and laughed as we talked about it.  We related to his fears and his awkwardness.  It was great.

Fast forward about 13 years. Circa 2012.

I had a new home teacher from my ward.  His name is Chris.  He would come over and we would chat and laugh and tell stories.  He would teach me a short lesson and he would go on his way.  This went on for months.  We would say hi to one another when we saw each other and then he would come back for a visit the next month.  He told me the last time he came over that he was moving out of the ward and would no longer be my home teacher.  I was a little sad, but I wished him well on his new adventures.  Before he left he asked me what my plans were for the rest of the evening.  I told him I would probably write.  I was writing a book back then.  A book about Maine.  He told me that that was cool, and that his dad was a published author and his sister worked for a publisher.  See here for my previous post about our conversation.

It was cool knowing someone who knew someone who had published a real live book that people, I am sure, read.  I never did asked him what book his dad wrote.  It never even occurred to me.  He left that night and that was that.

Flash forward to a few weeks ago. Circa July 2013.

I decided I needed to spend more time reading.  I figure it's probably good for my brain and it entertains me just as much as any movie (as long as it's interesting).  So I set up an account on goodreads.com and I started rating all of the books that I have read recently, and in the past.  Then I began filling my queue for books that I wanted to read in the future.  I looked through other people's lists of what they had read and wanted to read.  As I was reading some book title, I remembered the book (The Search for Wallace Whipple) that I had read so long ago.  I looked it up, not knowing if it would even be in their system.  Sure enough it was.  I clicked on it, rated it, and read its short synopsis once again.  Just as I was about to leave I glanced past the author's name and something caught my eye.

Do you know where I am going with this already?? (I bet you do!)

I recognized the author's name.  Well, not his whole name, but his last name.  The same last name as Chris, my old home teacher.  As my head tilted sideways in wonder and confusion, I went to facebook and looked him up in my friends.  His last name is the same!  The wheels in my head were turning.  My conversation with him started to come back.  I looked at his "about" section (on facebook) to see if he had tagged his family members.  Sure enough his father's name is the same name as the author of my favorite book in high!!

After I gasped, I think I said something like, "SHUT UP!!"

I immediately messaged Amy about my findings.  She asked me if I was going to message him and ask him, or tell him that I loved that book?  My original thought was no.  I mean how awkward is it to get a message from a friend you haven't talked to in a while and they tell you that they think your dad is cool?  Awkward.  But after some thinking I messaged him anyways.  I mean, I know how to have tact...sometimes.

I messaged him, knowing he doesn't use facebook often.  I told him the (above) story (only in shorter form...which I am sure you all are wishing I had paid the same courtesy to you...haha).  I didn't expect a message back for weeks.  Months even.  If any.

Ten minutes goes by and my phone notifies me I have a message back from him.  He said something to the effect that he was glad to get my message and he will tell his dad that I loved his book because it will mean a lot to him.

Whaaaaaaaaaatttt?? Awesome!!!

Awesome is all I can say to that, right?  I replied saying something boring...I am sure.  Our conversation was over at that point.  Or so I thought.

A few days went by and I got a new message from Chris.  It said, "My dad was thrilled that you enjoyed the book. He just wrote another one and wants to give you a copy. What's your address?"

Shut. The. Front. Door!!  Is this a joke??

More awesomeness!!  Like can my life get any better??

Two weeks later I received a new crisp book in my mailbox.  I may or may not have hugged that yellow envelop immediately after I ripped it out of the mailbox and then shredded it open.

At first the book looked too crisp and perfect to have ever been opened.  My heart sank at the thought that he might not have signed it.  I opened to the first page.  Nothing.  The second...nothing.  Third, nothing.  My heart was getting more and more sad.  Then...page four.

A message and a signature.

It says: For all who understand that back roads are the best way home. "August 2013  Alison, From Wally Whipple to Loyal Wing, it's been good to share the same road. Best wishes to you, my friend, Don Smurthwaite"

(Side note: Loyal Wing is a character in this book)

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (angels are singing in the background and my heart is happy once more)!!!

After I read it I may or may not have hugged the book again.  I messaged Chris and thanked him for being awesome.  And then I messaged his dad and thanked him for the book (and added him as a friend on FB.  I have no shame).

And that my friends is how life can be awesome! :))