When I was in high school, I had a boyfriend, but I also was developing a crush on another -- on one of my friends, and she had a crush on me back. And you know, it was kind of like, wrong place, wrong time. So, I was already in a relationship and I really liked her. And we got along, like, really great. And my boyfriend was a senior and he was gonna graduate soon. I didn't know what was gonna happen after that. Turns out we were gonna break up. Um, he was gonna break up with me, devastate me, which happened. First love is always like that. But um, you know, honestly I was thinking at the time, "I still want to be in this relationship, but this other thing seems worth pursuing. Maybe it just needs time. Maybe, you know, she could wait for me." And so we kind of just stayed friends. And we didn't have classes with each other the next semester, um, or even the one after that when I came back as a sophomore. And you know, we were already out of the relationship, me and my ex-boyfriend. And so we really didn't see each other that much and that was fine. But by the time we did start seeing each other again, you know, it was kind of like that spark was immediately back. But then she was in a relationship. You know, she had a boyfriend at the time. So it was funny. And then she had that same boyfriend until they -- until she graduated--until we both graduated, because we're the same year. We had so much in common, and we really got along, and there was that spark, you know, you feel that spark with some people sometimes. And um, so I always joke that she's the one that got away, because it was always like, the right person, wrong time. And like even now, she's married to this woman who looks a lot like me. And even like, half Mexican, like -- And uh, I, I joke all the time, like, you know, I, I was the one who got away for her, too. But it's funny. I wonder where life would have taken us if maybe we were -- we did get together at one point. 

So I just got back from a, uh, bridal shower and it's I think the first bridal shower I've been to where I actually really don't know the bride, like at all, not really. And so the second that I even walked in she like, you know, she said my name, acknowledged my existence, and then she just said, “[name] is over there." And so the person hosting the party and organizing it, her new mother-in-law, that's who I know better and hang out with and are friends with so -- But I, I wouldn't mind getting to know the bride more, you know. Like, and I assume that as long as I live here and as long as I'm friends with her mother-in-law and like -- I really like her son, um, the um, like the bride's son. They already had a kid together. They're -- they're just kind of making it right, you know, by getting married and everything -- making it official -- officially a family and everything like that, so, um. Anyway, so I mean, I gave her a hug and I was just like, "Oh, yeah, like, you know I’m at you're bridal shower.” But we both kind of knew, we're like, eh, we don't -- we like don't know each other that well, but you know, I definitely went around and tried to get to know her family my friend’s family and stuff. So all of her, you know aunts and uncles and grandmas and stuff like that -- I guess it was, it was just women so just aunts and grandmas. So it was really nice and fun. I mean, it was pretty like --I think as fun as it could be with half the room not knowing each other, you know, um which I guess this is a much more stark divide. Once I got a chance to kind of get to know everybody and know the layout of the room, I realized, "Oh, wow," like there was -- the room naturally divided into two areas that you could sit two -- you know, the dining room area and then the kitchen area -- or the um, uh living room area. So, open concept but still there's two, you know circles of sitting and I very quickly realize that all of the people in one circle, like all was the bride's side…

That does remind me, one other thing I'm grateful for also comes with a huge caveat. I had a situation a few weeks ago where I had to go to a doctor's checkup regarding my knee. I underwent surgery in June 20th, and I'm still mid rehab. I have to spend two months on crutches. No weight bearing. And, you know, this whole notion behind the operation was to get myself healthy again so I can get back to the sports and the activities that I wish to partake.  And, uh, when I went to my checkup appointment -- usually it's been a physician's assistant who I've developed a pretty strong relationship with. This time, it was with the actual surgeon. Uh, the surgeon had me bend my knee once barely looked at me, and the appointment -- without exaggeration — lasted about 90 to 120 seconds. Two minutes, uh, and it was over. And on his way out, he just mentioned, like, "All right. Yeah yeah yeah. Just, uh, biking's good for it right now. No kneeling, no squatting, no running, you know, the bang bang bang." And as -- he was saying this as he was backtracking -- backpeddling out of the room, and I was able to stop him and be like "Hey!"  Uh oop, probably didn't say it that abruptly, but it's like "Um, do you mean...? No running during the rehab, right? Like right now at this point in rehab, don't run?” And he's like, "Well I don't know if you ever should." Meaning like, literally, for the rest of my life, and then he just walked out.  You know, he did add, like, one more sentence. He was like, you know, "The bang bang bang could just, you know, lead it to tear again." And then, then he walked out, and so I was left, like, shellshocked. Wrong word. Shocked. Just shocked without the shell. And so for a period of time, I was like "What have I done? I'm gonna go surgery just to be a 39 year old who's never allowed to move quickly again?" And so much of my life is about -- it's a weird statement to make out of context, or even in context -- so much of my life is about moving quickly. You know, it's just -- it's what I do. I like running. I love basketball.…