WOW!! This month marks 16 years since my first date with Wayne.
Let me take you back to 1997…
…slow fuzzy flashback dissolve here…
… I was living in Oakville with 2 roommates and working in sales for the corporate world. My jewelry business was more of just a side line hobby at this point and I proudly called it, “Designs by Monica”. Chokers, (like I’m wearing in the pic) were all the rage and I was convinced that they would make me famous!
Wayne moved in with his roommate and her dog, Simba, a couple of doors down on the next block, above a music store, and we quickly became good friends. Hanging out, sharing dreams and ideas, going to the movies, eating together and partying with all of our friends.
One snowy night Wayne stopped by and asked me if I wanted to go downtown, and grab a Hot Chocolate. While we were walking, a brave 23 year old Wayne said to me, “Moni, I’m really loving this time that we’re spending together and I’d like to be more than friends, if you want to.” I quickly replied with, “Oh no, I am not your type, you wouldn’t be happy with me, I’m too disorganized, I’m too scattered, you’re too nice… etc, etc.” Even as the words were coming out of my mouth I knew I was making a big mistake and I was just behaving like a scaredy cat that didn’t want to take the leap.
A serious relationship with a nice guy, that likes me and wants to spend time with me??
What the heck is that???
Well… the words came out, and Wayne was cool to just be friends and walked me home. As soon as I walked in the door, I threw off my coat and boots and immediately did what all girls do in that situation, I called my closest girlfriend, told her about the evening and asked for advice. She quickly knocked some sense into my thick skull and told me that I was worth having a wonderful guy in my life and that I deserved to be treated well and to get over all that “bad boy” crap (I was 27 at the time…..and a little immature).
“For god’s sake” she said, ” the man even watched Xanadu with you!”
The next morning I woke up and called Wayne, with full confidence and butterflies in my belly and I told him how I really felt! I was glowing and floating and feeling good about my decision. That night we went clubbin’ with our friends and had an awesome night of dancing to the sounds of Alice In Chains, No Doubt, Soundgarden, and Nirvana. Wayne was wearing all black with his hair long enough to reach half way down his back, and I was decked in my sparkly chokers, black mini skirt, and the eyeliner was nice and thick… on both of us!
Wayne wants me to say “guyliner”
The next day was our first official “all-day” date. Wayne and I met up in the morning (no he did not sleep over) and off we went shopping. He thought that it might be fun to get some things to organize my beads and really get this jewelry business off and running… and that’s how it all began…
…now come on back to 2013…
I’d love to hear your first date experiences.
Please feel free to leave your comments below.
Monica
Monica that story brought a big smile to my face, and lots of great flashbacks !
Thanks for your great courage to write about your personal life… and to phone Wayne the next day !!!
I love ya !
That was an awesome story! I’ve even added ‘guyliner’ to my vocabulary now. I love that you shared. Thank you!
I met my husband online. He was my last attempt at online dating and it was destined to fail for many reasons. 1. it was my last online dating attempt and then i was tearing down my profile. 2. It was a sunday night in august after a rather late night out on Saturday with friends. 3. It was raining. Not sure about anyone else, but after a late night of too much wine, spending a rainy Sunday lying on my couch on a ‘school night’ does NOT a date night make. But I went anyway.
Greg showed up, I was instantly comfortable with him which had never happened to me before. It was only meant to be an hour or two. But we felt at home with each other and were quickly talking like old friends. Later we went upstairs, played pool and watched some awesome Queen Street West karoake. It was the best night and after a bit of a rocky start, we both finally put on our big girl and boy pants and decided to make it official. Today we have a beautiful 17 month old baby girl and we have just bought our first dream home. He is still my best friend and we STILL never run out of things to say to each other.
Thanks for making me remember this Moni. Sometimes marriage and a baby can add a lot of stress to our lives and we forget why we’re here.
xo
P.S – On your next blog, I’m curious to hear what your Dad thought of Wayne and the guyliner! Haaaaa!
Hey Moni…
Didn’t realize how this all came to but how sweet.
Working for the same corporation outfit you did, I was on my way to Mexico city to catch a connecting flight to Cabo for a Sales meeting.
This guy was sitting in the row in front of me and got up to use the loo and when he came back the food cart was in his way. Since the seat beside me was empty he asked to sit and eat dinner there. I kind of looked up and said sure not really paying attention. I had a couple of newspapers and magazines on this seat and instead of handing them to me, he proceeded to drop them on the floor and sit. Well I thought to my self “what an ass” and just as I was going to say something he flashed this smile that made me forget what he just did. He didn’t move back to his seat after dinner and stayed in the seat beside me the rest of the 5 hr flight. We traded numbers and a month later was our first date at a Pub in Erin. We were married almost a year to the day.
It has been 12 years and 2 kids later and while some days are better than others, he still has that smile that still does it.
Hope you enjoyed my story.
Maureen
“For god’s sake” she said, ” the man even watched Xanadu with you!” hahaha!! LOVE IT!! Thanks for sharing…made me laugh!
xo
OMG Monica! What a hoot! Guyliner? What Did Your Dad THINK?
Wayne sure cleaned up nicely, eh dear? And such an Organizer, support, source of strength, etc. What’s not to love after all these years??? It’s got to be love.
Barbara xo
As you know, Moni, I met your Dad on the long weekend in May 1959 at a youth group outing in Bobcageon. There was a dance and we danced all night, but that wasn’t the first date. On our way home (we got a ride in the same car together) he asked me if I’d like to see a movie. We agreed on “Rio Bravo” with John Wayne, Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson, whom I loved more than Elvis. Wolfgang coming from the west and I coming from the east end, we agreed to meet on the corner of Yonge and Bloor. Girls in the fifties were not supposed to seem too eager, so I got off the streetcar one stop early. I watched the Yonge and Bloor corner until I saw him arrive. I then casually strolled over and met him.
Four years later we married – he always teased me saying that it took so long because he kept waiting for me to propose – ten years later our Monilein was born and twelve years later Ricky (now Eric).
I love it, thanks for sharing that Moni!
The first time I met Mark was when my best friend and I went to visit her boyfriend at work. I briefly met Mark and found out later that day that he wanted to know all about me and would like to ask me out. He even told his friend that he was going to marry me (but I didn’t know this until much later).
Just like you Monica, I wasn’t so sure about such a nice guy…but for the next three months he somehow seemed to appear at every social event I was at. When I finally said yes to a first date, it was perfect, and we have never been apart since. It has been 14 years and two kids since our first date.