I have one thought about 'missing you' in my head, and it's pretty precious. It makes me a bit teary, but here I go anyway.
In the mid '90's, just before I had Jarrah, I met this guy who I fell head over heels in love with. It was a little bit crazy. We both were living in a caravan park in Gracetown, WA. We were there because we were doing the grape picking season there - early rises, afternoons on the beach, communal dinners where I'd take 2 bucks off everyone and go into Margaret River to get ingredients to make a huge curry or chilli by the fire. Good times. He was English - from Essex I believe - and gorgeous. We had such a fun time together - we were smitten, but kinda wild at the same time, so he or I would disappear for a bit and go and hang out or sleep with other people and then come and laugh about it with each other the next time. Like, 'where the hell did you go last night lol' and we'd sit and crack each other up over the stupid things we did whilst drinking far too many jugs of beers. Ah, being young and wild. We had a lot of fun together, surfing, picking grapes, cooking, sitting around doing not much at all.
I bought him this ring, a silver celtic knot thing and I always remember saying 'I'll be at a bar in the Uk and look across and see it and we'll meet again' kinda thing. We were totally devastated to part ways. I drove up north to Kalbarri to meet my girlfriend and he was headed back to the UK in a couple of weeks. Anyway, so me and her are staying in the backpackers and I'm up in the middle of the night thinking: far out, I'm never going to see him again? So I walk out super quiet and leave Tam a note to take the car and I'll meet her in Gnaraloo or Carnarvon, and I got out the door at dawn and hitched all the way back to Gracetown. I couldn't tell her I was planning it as she'd kill me but I couldn't stop thinking about him. I remember ringing her from a phone box to say sorry.
It took 9 hours to get back and three lifts. Because it was WA, everyone had dope in their glovie so by the time I got back to Gracetown it's pretty much dark and I'm so stoned I'm really, really embarrassed that I've done this. What the hell is the guy going to say - he'd surely think me totally bananas. I'm hiding behind a BUSH, and I can see everyone sitting by the fire. It took me two hours to walk over and say 'Hi', as casual as. He was rapt - threw his arms around me. It was the kinda crazy thing he would do as well, so he totally loved that I did that for him.
By this time, everyone else had gone their separate ways and the grape picking season was well and truly over. We spent a blissful week together before he flew back to the UK.
I've spent my entire life missing that guy. He wasn't the love of my life - my husband is - but he taught me that lovers could be friends, and have a ridiculous amount of fun together, which paved the way for the kind of relationship I have with Jamie.
Every now and then I internet stalk him, but I cant' find him anywhere. There's no trace. I wonder if he's dead, or if he's just anti Facebook or social media. I wonder if he's fat with three kids and a wife he loves or hates, or whether he's still that free, tanned guy I met, on a beach somewhere, shelling mussels, surfing.
The way the world is now, I doubt it. I miss the time when those things seemed possible.
I believe I wasn't meant to see him again, and that being with him paved the way for the goodness to follow, but I will spend the rest of my days missing him like hell, and not thinking about him at all.
Actually, I get all choked up in my heart even thinking about this. I'm a bit of a romantic at heart I guess.
I might write a post about it and clean up the stream of conciousness unedited mess of this comment, and find that one photo I have of him in a box somewhere...
Wow! Okay, this is the height! Like you had to go back to meet him? This is really touching and sweet. I had a similar experience, but clearly not close to yours though, I met this lovely young lady at one of my many travels back then for a seminar, she's definitely not a member of my church, a friend invited her over for the seminar, and we bonded so well, we spent the whole night laughing, talking and getting to know each other (good thing she booked a room in the same hotel I also booked mine), we shared so much with each other and we connected so well, but then I was with someone, even though I was so tempted to kiss her, I was glad she understood why I couldn't kiss her. The next morning we travelled back to our different destinations and then we forgot to exchange contracts. Three days later, I received a call from an unknown number, she described herself and I quickly remembered her, she told me how she asked her friend who happens to be a member of my church for my number and how her friend had to ask another friend just to get my number, we talked on the phone for days, and one day, she told me she want to travel down to Delta State where I stay to spend the weekend, she asked me to get her a room and she would pay for it, she just want to see me one more time. I thought she was joking, but she really came and it was an amazing weekend (honestly speaking, she was like my soulmate, but I was with someone and would never try to hurt the one I am with). But we had so much fun hanging out together. And then she returned back to Abuja on a Sunday. 2 weeks later, I discovered she's no more 😭, that was when I knew she has been sick for a long time, and that was the only part about her that she never told me. I never knew that visit would be the last one, but I think she kinda knew though. Writing this now, I just realised I really miss her, and that's one of the best time of my life, spent with a complete stranger who became a friend before leaving this word. Her name was BLESSING
Wow, that's so amazing. I'm sorry to hear that she died, but sounds like you are lucky you got to spend some magical time with her.
Thank you. Indeed I was lucky to spend time with her. That is one experience I am always grateful for, because sometimes I think about it, I always feel like she needed some happy time before she died, and I am happy to have been available when she needed it.
As I read your story, I was imagining what it would be like and I felt it was one of those experiences that happens very little in life. I'm sorry to hear that he died. He left you the memories of those moments that you miss because of how special they were for you.
Thank you so much, the person is actually a she though. She was an amazing person, I really am grateful for the experience, it's rare, so I am happy I experienced it. Thanks for sharing your thought.
@officialuroga When a person who is about to die decides to spend their last hours with someone, it means that this person is important to them. I will consider it fortunate that someone took the last days of their life to be with you, it is something to cherish for a lifetime.
Very true, and I cherish every single moment from that day. The memory is still fresh in my head and I am grateful for it.
Oh my goodness!!! How hard and what happiness you have generated for him to go see you just before his departure. That is your greatest reward, to have been a source of happiness for her in her last days. Even though she is gone now, I'm sure they were good times for her in that difficult situation.
Very true, indeed that was my reward, and opportunity to serve as a form of happiness to her before leaving this world, it's a rare opportunity and I'm glad I had it.
I don't think it has to be a long time to be intense and real.
There was a woman, a young woman that I knew I was going to be madly in love with after our first date. I was right, absolutely right.
But I was headed for Vietnam and I can not explain how incredibly fucked up I was between the age of 18 and 22. Her brother had just come back and we spent several hours and a significant quantity of beer talking about it and I finally asked him if he thought I should pursue his sister. The answer was what I expected. I walked away and never went back.
But every once in a while I think how things might have been different. Who knows? Certainly not me.
Really a story that doesn't happen to many people. A special connection that was born quickly and spontaneously. The question remains: What would have happened if ...?
But as you say:
Thanks for sharing.
Aww, great share Riv. Really cool.
I don't want to say much about the relationship, the times, but I'd like say that the romantic in me likes to think he feels the same about you now and misses those same moments you shared. Maybe he sits somewhere, has a cuppa, and enjoys wonderful memories and moments of painful loss when thinking of you and what you had together.
That's what I'd like to think anyway.
Yay for you joining in this week.
Write the post mate. 🙂
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OH gosh, humbled. I have been a bit busy with the woodpile this morning and haven't had chance to check! I always wonder if he thinks of me, or at least once in a while smiles at that little golden time in Australia in 1996.
I reckon both+ Rivvy me girl; Thinks, smiles and misses.
One more thing. I had to read in a bit to realize there was no Gracetown in Washington and that WA is Western Australia :)
ENGAGEtokens.Love this comment. Kinda miss him a bit myself now :)
If you saw a photo of him you'd miss him even more. Those pecs... :P
Hahah me too!
Lol.
That's a great story! It’s one of those things that you have to do sometimes, have those experiences in order to have them. I think so many people would be so much better in life doing these types of things, safely of course, to know what it’s like and how to handle it.
I've had quite a few beautiful affairs that came from following my heart over my head, and none I regret. The last one was going to the other side of the world to be with a man I knew for 3 whole days, and we've been married for 18 years now. If I'd have followed the advice everyone else gave me, I wouldn't be so happily in love today with my true love.
Wow, a beautiful story, I relived together with you every moment of your experience and I was enthralled reading all your story, you made me remember the loves of my youth, those that will not return, but that are in a very special place in the archives of my mind and in the album of my head.
Thanks so much. I kinda forgot that other people other than @galenkp would read this so I'm a little humbly embarrassed at the lovely comments here this morning. Aren't you glad you had those loves? I'm glad I got to meet quite a few people to learn from and to feel loved by before I got married, to be honest.
You are welcome. It was really lovely to read you. Yes, the loves of our youth bring a smile to our lips. Beautiful memories that fill our hearts with love.
Beautiful story 💛 Thank you for sharing!
Aw, thanks so much!
My pleasure 💛
Wow this is really touching 🤭 I followed every bit of it and relate, it's actually gonna make a good post. Thanks
Thank so much xx
You are welcome xx
What a beautiful story, I sense the intensity and emotion that produced that relationship in your lines. In spite of the results, I think it is wonderful that you had that romantic experience, I think many people spend their whole earthly life without knowing that kind of love, it is good that you treasure those moments in your heart.
I think it would make a good story for a book ❤️
Those few short years when you really follow your heart, yup it counts! Now later in life sitting back reflecting makes one content knowing you took the step irrespective of what people said!
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BEER.Wow, what a story! I can totally imagine how curious you must be about his life now and all the things he has done. Good though that you cherish that time together still.
There's an old couple here that bumped into other again after seperating 30 or 40 years ago and they are in love all over again, acting like teenagers.
I prefer to divide my life into chapters and it is always so amazing to see all of the comings and the goings. There's also a few lost loves in there and I hope all of them do not mysteriously re-appear when I am 90 years old.
You have a great story here for a movie and at the ending the lost lover returns and the woman sits with two husbands :)
If I make it to 90 years old I hope all of them come back! Just sayin'
Wow...tremendous anecdote, that's the beauty of being with someone, the connection, and simplicity with which things happen without it seeming forced at all. It's definitely something worthy of a post, and to be honest, my eyes watered a bit even though the anecdote wasn't mine
That's amazing, you should turn it into a movie. Such romance. Sometimes to have loved and lost is a great thing. I've never experienced anything like this, sounds amazing.
Should we try to find him? What's his name? Got any details? This can be a Hive thing.
We all have a fleeting love at some point, which becomes only a good memory. It's good that you found your true love.
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OOOH, pizza. Thanks so much - I might try to write it as a post one day, but I'm a bit exhausted from the comment!
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