I’ve gone back and forth, mainly in my head, on how to start this post. I’ve typed, backspaced, and typed some more, and unfortunately for all of you, this is what I’ve come up with. Two run-on sentences explaining my struggle to produce a grabbing introduction. So, now that I’ve explained absolutely nothing, and probably wasted 45 seconds of your time (assuming you’re as slow of a reader as I am), I’ll try to jump right in to something that I’m calling Project Countdown.
Recently, some of my best thinking has come under the influence of coffee. Not just any coffee. 4 scoops of coarsely ground whole bean Columbian coffee, made with boiling water, stirred, and gently French Pressed. The 4 cups of coffee usually gets me through the last 3 hours of work, but tonight, it did something different for me. Out of nowhere came an idea. More than an idea. An urge. An itch. I wanted to write. Project Countdown.
There is something about me, and I’m willing to bet it stretches beyond just me, that loves a countdown. We’re always doing it. Something about looking forward to what’s to come. The suspense, anticipation and excitement about the future. Countdown’s can be good, bad, nerve-wracking, exhilarating, and down-right fun! What I want to do is write about countdowns. I’m open to taking ideas from any readers out there, but if not, I think I have a few ideas that will keep these fingers typing.
Project Countdown: Day 151 of 180 – Destination April 2nd
I’ve been engaged for 151 days, not that I’ve been counting. I have 29 more days until I get to marry my best friend, and put this 180 countdown to rest. I don’t think I’ve ever lived a 6-month span that went as fast, AND slow, as these last months have. When I think of all the stuff we’ve done to plan our wedding and how far we’ve come, it seems like the time has flown by. On the other hand, waiting and wanting so bad to spend every minute with the love of your life, and having to wait 180 days to start that life-long journey together…6 months seems like 6 years.
People told us right when we got engaged to soak up every minute of engaged life, and to cherish this time. “Don’t wish it away,” is what they’d say. I wracked my brain, jumbled my thoughts and tried to figure out why they talked like that? The only thing I could do was heed their advice. After all, the people giving this advice had been there before. They’d already done this whole engaged thing. So, making sure that I didn’t “wish this time away,” I made sure I steered clear from wishing wells, birthday cakes, magic lamps, and shooting stars, and so far it must be working, because I’m still in this countdown, and it’s not April 2nd, so I think I’m doing this right.
Once this is over (29 days from now, if you didn’t catch that earlier) and I’m married to the coolest girl in the world, I wonder what advice we’ll give to newly engaged couples? I hope I’m not the one that says, “Don’t wish this time away,” because honestly, I don’t get what that means. On the other hand, I don’t want to be the tough guy and pretend that I hated being engaged. You know what, I think I’m just going to keep my mouth shut. I’m not sure I’ll give any advice. Part of the excitement of a countdown is not knowing what’s coming. think I’ll just smile, and say “let the countdown begin.”
