I guess this is a good place to give you a little history of how Jody and I first met. Jody and I were both born in NY. We lived less than 2 miles away from each other in Brooklyn. Then we both moved to Florida when we were teenagers. We actually went to high school together and had classes together but never spoke to each other until college.
I always tell people that in high school I was the geeky one in the front of the class taking notes while he was the trouble maker in the back of the classroom causing trouble. It’s true, and I am sure those of you who know Jody are not surprised by this. I can remember him from my 10th grade health class. He and some other kids in the back of the classroom opened one of those condom key chains that read “Break in case of emergency”. They broke the key chain open and took out the condom, blew it up like a balloon and tossed it around the room. That was Jody!
Sometime in high school Jody became best friends with the first boy I ever went out on a date with. (OK, it was kind of a date. We were in junior high school and our best friends were dating, so we all met up at the mall and our friends made us hold hands.) It was that same boy that kind of helped Jody and I meet and actually start dating when we had science together at community college. We grew up so close to each other for all of those years but as much as I spent my teen years chasing boys it seems I didn’t get to meet my soul mate until the time was absolutely right.
Finally, we met and began dating in community college. Jody told me he wanted to move up to Tallahassee and go to Florida State. I had heard of FSU but I really had no particular plans on where I wanted to go after community college. Living in South Florida there was a lot of local options like FAU and U of M. But, as I have learned many times over the years Jody can be very persuasive. He can sell anything to anyone. He had me intrigued, so we took a trip up to Tallahassee to check out the college. Once there I was sold. The campus was beautiful and Tallahassee looks more like the northeast than Florida. That was a big selling point for me. I was ready to apply.
But, more importantly, it was Jody who planted the idea in my head that I could go away to school and that I didn’t need to stay so close to home. Oh, I was encouraged to go to college, but Jody helped make the idea real in my head and gave me something to work for.
I am really glad I went up to Florida State with him. I needed to break away and experience really being away in a college town. I met some great people, some of the most amazing experiences and did a large amount of growing up - which I desperately needed to do.
A few years later, after I came back to Tallahassee from Wyoming, my grandmother had gotten really sick. I ended up leaving Tallahassee and heading down to West Palm Beach to be closer to her. I had told Jody he didn’t need to come with me because… well, we weren’t dating at the time. I just knew I had family in West Palm and I wanted to spend some time with my grandmother before it was too late. But, Jody was at a point in his life where he had some growing up to do of his own. So, we both packed up out stuff and headed down to West Palm Beach together.
I guess over 20 years we have both had a good impact on each other. I followed him to Tallahassee, he followed me to West Palm Beach. We have done a lot over the years to help each other grow up, and I love him for that. I can only wonder where our next adventure will take us.
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes til' I touch the sky
And I'll make a wish
Take a chance.
Make a change
And breakaway.
-Kelly Clarkson
17 days and counting!