So, flash back to the spring of my junior year of high school. That time of year roles around that gets every high school kid all geeked up... The Sadie Hawkins dance at South Terrebonne High School. Just like the Relient K song, it's tradition for the girls to ask the guys to this one. It's always fun to see the girl's choice, and there's always a fun theme like "Sadie goes surfing" or somethiing cheesey like that. Sounds like fun, right?
Well, unless you're 16-year-old me. Finding a date to dances was never an area of expertise for me, simply because it wasn't something I'd ever had to do. I pretty much dated the same guy for like, ALL of high school (unfortunately :/) so obviously I didn't have to worry about date hunting. But, ya see... That spring was different. For the first time, I was boyfriendless and free for the first time in a long time... And thus also dateless. It was a very necessary singleness, and I enjoyed the end of my junior year and my senior year more than any other time in high school. But as a result, I had to learn how to find a date for a school dance.
So, one Friday in American History, exactly one week before the dance, I set out to complete the task. It was the last period of the day, and I guess the bell's-about-to-ring mentality got the best of me. As I look back now, I'm surprised by how confident I was as I stood up, walked about three rows over and sevenish seats back, and sat down in the empty desk behind Jacob Williams. I'm not even sure I'd really thought about what I was going to say. I simply and straightforwardly asked Jacob if he'd like to go to Sadie's with me. He turned around, and with a surprised smile, replied with a simple, "Sure!" I said "Cool," and returned to my seat.
So there it was, as easy as that. Our theme was "Sadie goes around the world," so Jacob and I chose matching four-leaf clover shirts to represent Ireland. We went out to eat with a few of our mutual friends, let all the moms take a million pictures, and all of that unnecessary pre-dance prep. When we finally arrived at the dance (fashionably late, of course)I expected very little commitment on his part to stick by me throughout the night, because, after all, we were just friends. It makes me smile now to remember how even though we did separate some to visit with friends, Jacob would always find me in the crowd of people when a slow dance song came on. He even taught me how to "skank" that night, which is a cool little dance that you do to Ska music. I'm not sure where Jacob is now or what he's doing, but he still stand out in my mind from that night as a surprisingly excellent date.
So, why am I writing about this silly high school dance experience? Well, mostly because it just made me chuckle. I was extremely nervous about the after math of a big break-up and having to find a date. I didn't want a relationship AT ALL, and I was worried that asking a guy to a dance would send the wrong message. But Jacob turned out to be the biggest blessing at 16-year-old could imagine. He probably has no idea how much it meant to me that he made everything so simple, so easy, and so fun. Just by being a genuinely nice guy, Jacob still stands out in my mind years later. I haven't talked to Jacob since I graduated, and I may never see him again, but I'll always appreciate him as a great Sadie's date.
So, about that good message I promised... Like I said, Jacob may never know how grateful I am for the way he treated me. This memory got me thinking about how many small things people have done, simple gestures of treating people like they are humans who deserve to be loved, that have had a great impact on the lives of others. I know that I have specific memories of crummy days that were cured by someone smiling at me in passing, or letting me into a lane of busy traffic, or making me feel included. You really never know how much your actions, small as they may seem, can impact someone positively or negatively. Just some food for thought.
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