7.16.2006

The Pope Went to Cuba

The story goes like this: Six or seven years ago, David and I decided to take one of our "get out of Dodge" Friday night drives to Salt Lake from Logan - this was back in our dating/engaged/not engaged/not dating/engaged/living next door but not speaking/roller coaster phase. We happened to be dating but not engaged at this particular juncture, but I, of course, was full of anguish over the marriage question. Serious cold feet. Loved David. Loved that he loved me. Scared spitless over the marriage commitment, worried about choosing right and paralyzed over what MIGHT go wrong. (As if choosing the right person would prevent every mishap in life...)

So I broached the topic for the fifteen hundredth and seventy-third time on Highway 89 just south of College Ward with some stinkery question about him asking me to marry him again or something. (I was SUCH a brat. Really lost and floundering over life, but inexcusably a huge brat.) He was quiet until we made it to the next rise and headed into the canyon before Brigham City. Then, he said, "Did you know the Pope went to Cuba?"

Now, Rythm-less will tell you how David is with news stories and factoids (that's what friends - and comments - are for!), and I will tell you that this completely tactless, non-agile change in topic irritated me to no end at the time. How could he be so oblivious to the future of our relationship?! (As if he wasn't feeling it every moment and putting up with me to boot.) But looking back, I think it was brilliant. It stopped me from taking myself too seriously and wallowing in my conundrum and dragging him into my incomprehensible second-guessing, and gave us something that we still laugh about. Whenever we want to change the subject, or flat out think UP a subject, or we get bored with what we're listening to, or we can't find a solution no matter how we look at the problem, or we just need shooken up a little, one or the other of us will say, "Did you know the Pope went to Cuba?"

And that's what I'm doing with the ol' blog (and you) tonight. I overwhelmed myself with "catching up" on the vacation news, got really frustrated as I read around other blogs and discovered Raising Five's wonderful insights, MugwumpMom's great story of listening and sharing her faith, Rhythm-less's tender tribute, the Amazing Trips running around in their diapers, and Tess's absence (she's back now! yippy!) - frustrated because everyone was so clever and interesting or living real life and all I could come up with was a travel-log, and it was boring even to me (even though the trip itself was a great time).

And in the meantime, life was happening, I was mostly missing the hubs and the pre-travel normalcy that has yet to be re-established and...and...I just need to give myself an entirely fresh start for the new week. Hopefully by Monday I will be clever again. No promises, of course, but it's worth a shot. After all, David put our impending marriage on the line and it worked out great, right?

So...Did you know the Pope is going to Bavaria in September?

12 comments:

Super Happy Girl said...

Loved that story.
Awwww, c'mon, you are so very clever!!, your travel log was pretty cool, and the pics were great :)

You are CYM! cleverest Color Coded blogger I know...errr, read.

Wanna see somehting boring? I'm going to Vegas next week. Won't be able to post much, but whatever I come up with will be uncool, and very very uninteresting. I don't have a Cal or a Henry like you do
;-)

Tammy said...

Hey- I thought this post was pretty clever, actually! :) And...oh, how I remember my pre-marriage dating quandry days with my now husband, too. Yep, we had our rollercoaster ride, too!
and no...I DID NOT know that the pope is going to Bavaria in September! Thanks for sharing that...;)

Millie said...

I'm glad you married him in spite of his tactless subject changing. :) I loved Rhythm-less' tribute too.

Katherine@Raising Five said...

I think that question has a nice, coin-able ring to it. I'm going to use it when potty talk takes over the dinner table next time.

You can devote all the time you need to missing your hubby and getting back to whatever "normal" is (I'm still folding laundry here) and we'll be there with you drinking tea across the miles. We don't want clever (although you are the master - I bow at your knee) - we just want YOU! Take your time. Bloglines will let me know when you're back.

Hugs!

rena said...

Are you kiddin me? This was very clever and I thoroughly enjoyed. It's great that you and husband still cherish and use that line.
Great post.
Have a nice evening, and enjoy the start to your week.

goldenlucyd said...

Hello, Hello!
Thanks for visiting my site. I don't "get out" (in the blogosphere---or anyplace else) very much and am always delighted to meet thoughtful and entertaining bloggers. And you're certainly one of the good ones! I look forward to spending time reading your archives.

As an elderblogger I'm delighted to connect with bloggers from other "niches." We have so much to share with one another.
All the best,
lucyd

Angela said...

Everyday mommy's comment CRACKED ME UP. It sounded like something you'd say!
I LOVE this story. You describe things so well, I felt like I was back in Logan in David's purple truck with you!
This really is so classic David and I love what it has come to mean for you. I think this is a perfect ingredient for a great marriage.
I miss Highway 89.

T.S. Eliot said...

Why do we put pressure on ourselves to be clever/funny/insightful/inspirational all at once? I love your pictures and stories so far. You've done a great job! Now if only we could find a way to electronically fold laundry across state lines I'd so help you out.

Super Happy Girl said...

YAY! You really are THE *Code Yellow* Mom
;-)

Gabriela said...

I hear you, I am totally at a loss of things to blog about while I am on vacation. I have enjoyed reading about yours though! :)

Unknown said...

Clever? Who worries about always being clever on their blog? Of course, this is coming from the irascible, overdue mom back in Colorado who's using her blog to vent these days. :-)
(Where did you live before in CO?)

the lizness said...

you are way clever, and I'm so glad we're both back on the blogosphere! I'll catch up with you later.