My Last Blind Date

I had just recently moved to Pocatello from Rexburg, Idaho and was living with my sister and brother-in-law. Life had been hard lately and taken some unexpected turns that really forced me to evaluate where I was, what I was doing, and what I needed to be doing. I was trying to recover from a very difficult time in life and was hesitant at trying new things or meeting new people. However, I was soon to find that is just what I needed in life whether I wanted it or not.

I started attending a Singles Ward in the area and tried to stay as inconspicuous as possible but still be involved as I felt I had the responsibility to be. I usually sat near the middle, not in the front where I look to anxious and not in the back where I looked like I was obviously avoiding someone or something. It didn't work to great. There were too many nice people, inspired to reach out to me and welcome me into a circle of friends. I was attending Family Home Evening with the Singles Ward and had given my number to a few sisters in the ward. 

I think it was only about two to three weeks after I started going that I got a text from a number not saved in my phone. She said who it was and explained that even though she didn't know me too well she was wondering if I would let her set me up on a blind date with her cousin. Her name was Alisa, but, the catch is there were two Alisa's in the ward and I assumed it was the other one from my hometown of Blackfoot. I agreed and we set up a day and time. A couple days before the blind date she came up to me at an activity and explained the blind date would not work. This was the first time I realized I was wrong all along on who exactly was setting me up on a blind date. Alisa said she would let me know when another time would work. I agreed.

Nathan, Alisa, and Me

 Some time passed during which neither of us could meet at certain times and then a little while later another day and time were set for a large group date in which we would meet. I felt better it would be a group date but still hesitant to get too involved in a date during this time in life. I had been in Utah for a friend's wedding a few days before. While there I was rear ended, totaled my car, and hurt my back. I was in pain and wasn't sure about the date. The day came anyways and I was told Alisa's cousin, Nathan, would pick me up and then take me over to her house where everyone would meet. We were to make tin foil dinners together and go roller skating. Roller skating with a hurt back! Yeah right! 

He picked me up that night in his Subaru Outback, being a perfect gentlemen opening doors and being polite! I remember thinking, "Oh, he's cute and polite. This might turn out okay!" We made small talk on the way there and throughout the evening. I was grateful it was a group date though to help lighten the inevitable eery mood of most blind dates. After dinner we headed over to the local roller skating rink, Deleta, we got brave and rented roller skates not roller blades, and changed into those deadly things.

You need to know I hadn't roller bladed in years and I think I had roller skated maybe once before in my whole lifetime. Roller skating is a lot different than roller blading and I think that the inventor had a major sense of humor by putting those darn breaks in front. I quickly learned those brakes felt useless to me and if I wanted to stop it was either catch (run) myself into the wall or fall ever so gracefully (not)!

You know they have couple skating, right! We participated and I'm pretty sure we were holding hands. This might have been half because he was cute and half because we were scared for our lives. Either way, of course at one point something happened, I can't remember exactly what but our balance started teetering. He tried to help but really I don't think there was any hope from the beginning and I went flat on my butt (the one that supported my back, which had a herniated disc that I wasn't aware of at the time), and he somehow stayed upright. While it was funny, the real funny part was when the worker came up to make sure I was okay, giving Nathan the stink eye, thinking he had pushed me over! Oh man, I knew my face was already bright red and his was only getting redder by the minute with embarrassment!

We both survived the fall and the embarrassment! We survived the night and upon returning home realized I had been on the first (and at the time I didn't know only) blind date that actually turned out well. He dropped me off in that green Subaru Outback, which sold my older sister, Sara, right from the start!