Childhood

Oct

2008

Basketball

So basketball season is coming up. And I gotta get my booty into shape. Church ball. City league. College Hoops. NBA. It’s that time of year. B-ball is fun. I’m starting to play more nowadays cuz I gotta have my game on when seasons come around. I’ll be playing mainly just church ball and city league. And of course i’ll be watching pro and college hoops. I’m excited.

Look how athletic I once was. I used to be able to ball. Now i’m just fat.

And Kyle Korver is a girly man. Jazz better step it up this year and he better be able to hit the J when called on.

Childhood/Me/Sports View Comments

Aug

2008

Abraham Crumpin

Since we’re on the subject of politics, might as well keep it going. When people ask me who my all-time favorite President was, my answer is simple. And the picture below shows why. That’s not Mozart he’s listening too. That’s Tupac.

Childhood/Dance View Comments

Aug

2008

More important than any Gold

We were all great swimmers at one point. And it was a race more important than any gold.

link

Congrats to Michael Phelps and all the amazing US athletes! I’d be blogging more except i’m glued to the Olympics.

Childhood View Comments

Aug

2008

Nightmares

When I was younger, I used to have really bad nightmares. It was insane. You can ask anyone in my family. I would get up in my sleep and run around the house…and it would all be part of my nightmare.

One nightmare I do remember very vividly is the one where a bunch of scary dudes were after me. They drove a black van and they were all dressed in black with black masks and they had huge guns. They were chasing me. They looked like huge European dudes and it looked like something straight out of a spy movie or something. It might have happened during a time in my life where I’d read a lot of Hardy Boys. Not sure.

I remember the nightmare, but I don’t remember what I did in the house. According to my brother and those present, this is what I did. I’d run and hide behind couches, get under the kitchen table, lay under different beds and towards the end of it I ran downstairs and hid under my father’s home office desk. Of course, I was yelling, screaming, crying, sobbing….in a crazy nightmare trance.

What I do remember is my brother Blake helping me wake up. I don’t think my parents were there (not sure where they were during that particular nightmare…I don’t think this was late at night) so Blake was there spraying my face with water using a water bottle. That’s how I woke up (the water bottle method worked in helping me get out of that stuff). That nightmare was scary.

I hated having my nightmares. Hated them. When I saw this picture below…it brought me back to some of my worst nightmares. It was not a good time at all. Sad.

Childhood/Family View Comments

Jul

2008

Useless Facts

When I was younger, I always found useless facts fascinating. In fact, one of the main features I had on one of my first web sites was a bunch of Useless Facts (I also had stick figure deaths, yo momma jokes, break dancing moves, and i can’t remember what else..). Here is the top list from Uneccessary Knowledge.

1- An adult giraffe’s kick is so powerful that it can decapitate a lion.
2- The word “lethologica” describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.
3- The brain continues sending electrical wave signals for 37 hours after death
4- Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.
5- Between 1902 and 1907, the same tiger killed 434 people in India.
6- During their periods womens middle fingers shrink. No one knows why.
7- Every year approximately 2,500 left-handed people are killed by using object or machinery designed for right-handed people.
8- In “Silence of the Lambs”, Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins) never blinks.
9- The clown fish has the ability to change its sex. If a breeding female dies, the male fish will change its sex and mate with another male.
10- During World War II, the very first bomb dropped on Berlin by the Allies killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.
11- 45% of Americans don’t know that the sun is a star.
12- More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes.
13- If you unfolded and flattened a set of human lungs they would cover a tennis court
14- The largest number of children born to one woman, who was a Russian peasant is 69.
15- There is enough iron in a human being to make one small nail.

Childhood/Web & Tech View Comments

Jul

2008

My 5th Grade Poem

For reals. This was a poem I did in 5th grade with the help of a BYU professor (he was visiting our class and helped a bunch of us individually). I don’t know how I still remember it. But I do. Here it is:

There once was a toilet so white,
It was always in use day and night,
The smell left a cloud,
The flush was so loud,
The bathroom gave quite a fright.

Childhood View Comments

Dec

2007

What Christmas means to me.

I love Christmas time. It’s always a time I use to reflect on my life, where i’m at, what i’m doing, how i’m doing it. Christmas comes at a perfect time, just before the new year….thus a great time to resolve to be better, to adjust, to make positive changes.

So what exactly does Christmas mean to me?

First and foremost, it’s a great time to remember Jesus Christ. No doubt, our lives should be centered around Christ every single day of the year, not just Christmas. However, Christmas is a great time to put even more emphasis on His divine mission.

Christmas is also a great time of year to look to bless and serve others. This is another one that shouldn’t be done just around Christmas time. We should obviously try to serve, help and bless others….throughout the whole year. However, Christmas is a time that really opens people’s hearts as everyone spends so much more time with the people they love most, friends and family. It opens hearts and people are more willing to share, give and bless the lives of others. The Christmas spirit brings feelings of love, generosity, patience, kindness, hope and charity.

My parents have always been such great examples of charity and bringing the Christmas spirit into our lives. They are always so generous in their giving. And one thing that always goes to show that their heart is definitely in the right place is that they always give anonymously. They don’t need any recognition or credit for giving…and they certainly aren’t ever looking for something in return. They do it out of the goodness of their hearts. The kinda thing I blogged about last week.

I know exactly what it’s like to be on the needy end. I’m kinda there now (newlywed entrepreneur). And i’ve been there plenty of times before (much of my years growing up). That’s why it felt so good on Thursday night when Rachel and I got the pleasant surprise on our doorstep. We truly do appreciate it. It does mean a lot. It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe. Our hearts swelled with joy, gratitude, love and appreciation. It motivated us to be better and more charitable. To pass it on. Charity is so contagious. It really is.

As i’ve learned from my parents and how they are so willing to share….I’ve tried to emulate them as much as possible. Rachel and I don’t have a lot to give…but we try to do as much as we can. The main reason is because we know exactly what it’s like to be on the other end, like I describe in the above paragraph. We know it now and I felt it for many years growing up. And I think that’s why my parents are so willing to give of their blessings. They know the feeling. They know the other side. My father was an entrepreneur and had many struggling years while me and my brothers were younger. Tough, tough times financially. He was able to make it through those years and come out on top. Ever since then, my parents have always been so generous and willing to help others. Because they know. They know the other side. They know the feeling. They were able break through and get to the top. Ever since, they’ve always wanted to send the elevator back down to the bottom to help others come to the top and join them.

Like my parents, so many of us are “on top.” Even though Rachel and I aren’t rich, we are certainly “on top” in so many different aspects of our life. Our skills and talents. Our health. Our attitudes. Our knowledge and education. Our families and friends. Our accomplishments and opportunities. Our spiritual direction.

We can all still give….if not of our resources, at least of our time and talents. It feels good to share. It feels good to serve. It feels good to bless. Especially having been on the complete opposite side of “on top.”

To me that’s what Christmas is all about. Giving of your resources; giving of your time; giving of yourself….to make someone a little happier, to make someone’s smile a little brighter, to make someone’s day/year a little better.

Yup, it’s exactly what Christ did. Except he didn’t do it for just one day, one week, or one month. Rather, He did it his entire life!

Childhood/Family/Mormon View Comments

Apr

2006

A blog on Love.

Kindergarten. A very long, long time ago. It was a time in my life where I lived as a rebel…peeing on school walls, looking under girls’ skirts from beneath the jungle gym, and slyly throwing all my cut-and-paste homework in the trash, where it belonged. I was a kid. Kids do dumb stuff. They live. They learn. And they forget. However…there is one “feeling” I had back then that every once in awhile comes back to tease my soul.

Yes folks. Let’s talk about love.

Sarah Mckinzer. She was cute. She was smart. She had short brown hair, pale skin, and a smile worth a million pogs. And yes….I worshipped pogs. That and comic books, marvel super hero cards, GI Joes, and of course….NINJA TURTLES. Sarah was sweet. She would smile at me every time I would burp. She must’ve thought it was sexy or something. I don’t know.

One day….for nap time…..I decided I was gonna make my move. I really “liked” this girl….and it was time that I finally express my feelings. I had lived almost the whole year with the love monster tormenting my soul…trying to get out and enjoy some fresh air. I couldn’t keep it in any longer. I had to do something.

So I did.

Nap time. Everyone was asleep…except me of course. I fought hard to stay awake. For I was about to accomplish the mission impossible. I wasn’t quite sure what I was gonna do at that point….but the bottom line is that I needed to do SOMETHING. So I did. The teachers were in their office. The kids were all asleep on their Snoopy and Pooh Blankies. And then there’s me….slowly….making movements to get on my knees and start the “army crawl” towards Sarah Mckinzer.

So I start.

If you were looking at me from the window, it would be like watching a little salamander in an aquarium….in slow motion….weaving in…..and out……of weeds and brush. I was slowly making my way around the other kids making sure I didn’t wake anybody up. That would mean disaster. I wasn’t ready for that. Peeing on walls was a good life….and I wasn’t about to lose that privilege over some nap time mishap.

Minutes passed. Many minutes passed. Finally when I reached Sarah…..I froze. I stared at that little princess…wondering what I was to do next. Was I to wake her up, round up the horse and carriage, and ride off into fairy land? Was I to caress her silky brown hair as I whispered lullabies into her cute little ear? Perhaps I was to meet her lips with mine, softly, as any kindergartner knows how.

Drops of sweat trickled down my brow….made its way down my cheek….finally reaching the corner of my lips where I could taste the saltiness of the moment. It wasn’t sweet. It was salty. It was sketchy. It was like the beginning of a crazy horror film. Everyone was asleep except the creepy killer, at the bedside of his one true love. His princess. The one he’d had an eye on for quite sometime.

I freaked out. I realized that I was in quite the predicament so I quickly started making my way back to my blankie. My safe place. My “home.” Half way there I realized NO…NO….NO. I was getting it all wrong. I couldn’t blow an opportunity. I had to do something. I had worked so hard to get to that point. Something needed to be done. Bragging rights during recess were on the line. I couldn’t chicken out. It was game time. My “coolness” was in jeopardy.

So I started back for Sarah. I reached her and I decided that the very least I was to do was….well…..to touch her leg. Her cute little, growing calf muscle. Slowly I let my right arm dangle closer and closer. The moment of impact occurred. It was a sweet, smooth landing. No turbulence. No bumps no bruises. No oxygen masks or warning lights. The skin of my 2 inch index finger and the smooth skin of her baby calf joined together. Fireworks went off. Bells in my heart started ringing. Frogs started jumping. Kangaroos started humming. The sweet smell of love was in the air. No booger nor belch was gonna ruin this one. Kids around school would be singing “Sarah and Mickey sittin’ in a tree….K – I – S – S – I – N – G……first comes love….then comes marriage….then comes a baby in a baby carriage…….” in no time. “Mickey + Sarah” was about to be engraven on every tree in the yard.

And indeed it all happened. She woke up. Looked at me, half-asleep. Smiled. And like a princess in a Disney movie, slowly put her head back to the pillow, returning to la-la land.

Me. Well….I returned to my baby blue blankie that my mommy had made….and went on with my nap. I’ve never slept so well in my life.

Love, for the first time in this mortal life, had found a place in Mickey’s heart. So I thought.

The more I thought about it…the more I realized that I wasn’t in “love.” Really I was just in “like.”

From that day to this…i’ve been analyzing what it means to “like” someone…and at what point it becomes “love.”

After the incidence with Sarah Mckinzer….I grew older. I realized that to “like” someone meant that you had to tease her. You had to be mean. You had to pick her last in the game of kickball at recess. You had to throw a little harder at her in the game of dodgeball. You had to point and laugh alittle louder everytime she said something dumb. You had to ignore her even more everytime in the cafeteria.

Then I grew a little older. To “like” someone meant to never talk to her in person…but to leave cute, sappy, romantic notes in her locker. To “like” her meant to have all means of communication between you and her be passed through best friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends. To “like” her meant to call her using *67 (blocked call), waiting to see if she’d pick up so you could hear her soft sweet voice, then hanging up. To “like” her meant to stare at her in class….then quickly look away as she takes a quick glance in your direction.

Then I grew a little older. To “like” her meant to try to make her jealous by talking to other girls in front of her, and laughing and playing. To “like” her meant that you’d talk for hours on IM…bugging her on who she “liked.” To “like” her meant that what you really “like” is the kissing.

Then I grew older. I went to Brasil for two years as a missionary. No dating. No girls. No kissing. Just missionary service.

And now i’ve been home about 9 months. To “like” someone now is completely different. I’ve lived this life over two decades now. And i’m finally starting to grasp what it really means to “like” someone. And I gotta admit…it feels good.

For me, to be in “like” with someone now isn’t about kissing. It’s not about teasing. It’s not about notes. It’s not about cheesy pick-up lines. Rather, it’s about nurturing a relationship so that it can find its way to the next phase: love. It has many of the same characteristics of love….simply because it’s on the path to love. It’s about caring. It’s about doing what’s necessary to please the other and make her happy. It’s about swallowing the pride. It’s about listening. It’s about communicating. It’s about being honest and open. It’s about uplifting, inspiring and motivating. It’s at the doorstep of love.

It feels good to know that i’m on a road that leads to love. A narrow road. A road traveled by few. A road that leads to a bridge. On the other side of that bridge is true love. A land where what appears to be beautiful, really is. It’s not a land for fools nor foolishness. It’s not a land of trade nor traitors. It’s a land for love, not “likers.” I’ve followed the signs on the road. I’ve obeyed the laws of travel. I’ve listened the the buzz of sweet bees on the other side. I know i’m going the right direction. I’m not going too fast. I’m not going too slow. I’m not letting the weather delay me, the temptations deter me, or the bumps impede me. One day…i’ll get there.

It all starts by getting on that road. It could be long. It could be short. But the only way one can get on that road is if he goes after “Sarah Mckinzer.” No one needs to be quite the weirdo that I was. But staying awake when everyone else is asleep, moving when everyone is still, and touching when no one dares touch. That’s what will lead to the bridge. That’s what will lead to the love. To fail while no one else attempted is in itself a success. And that’s what makes the road so narrow.

I won’t say i’m in love. But I feel pretty darn close. I really “like” a girl. And i’m going after her. I’ve entered the game…and she’s rolling the dice. I’ve put myself on a limb, she’s out there dangling with me. I’m on the road that leads to love, and she’s putting gas in the car. We’ll see how long it lasts. We’ll see how bumpy the road is. And perhaps….we’ll see how sweet the other side of the bridge is.

I think the bridge is close. Cuz i’m falling hard.

Don’t let love find you. You go find love.

-Mickey Lee Hagen

The Magic Of Love

Love is like magic
And it always will be.
For love still remains
Life’s sweet mystery!!
Love works in ways
That are wondrous and strange
And there’s nothing in life
That love cannot change!!
Love can transform
The most commonplace
Into beauty and splendor
And sweetness and grace.
Love is unselfish,
Understanding and kind,
For it sees with its heart
And not with its mind!!
Love is the answer
That everyone seeks…
Love is the language,
That every heart speaks.
Love can’t be bought,
It is priceless and free,
Love, like pure magic,
Is life’s sweet mystery!!

- Helen Steiner Rice -

Better Half/Childhood/Love/Princeton Days View Comments

Mar

2006

Kissing is fun. And don’t act like it’s not!

Okay so how bout we have some fun in today’s blog. I’ve been getting way too serious. And remember…please just take it all as light-hearted fun and games. I play around alot. I’m often times sarcastic. So don’t take it to heart…i’m just gonna play around a little bit….okay? Okay. Let’s roll.

Okay folks. You wanna hear something really cool? Okay. I’m gonna tell you something really cool.

August 2, 2003. That’s a day I shall never forget. It was a saturday night. I was on my last date before I was to become a missionary and fly down to Sao Paulo, Brasil to be trained as a missionary. August 6, 2003 was my day of departure. I was about to spend two years away from girls, dating…and do I dare say……kisses. I had to capitalize on that date…so indeed I did.

Haha. If I can remember right…that date was a really cool date. We went to a park (Joe P, my best friend, was also there with a date). We brought my laptop, watched a movie, slow danced, played some games, and just chilled…looking at the stars. I didn’t wanna do anything too intense. It was the last night out. I wanted to just chill with the girl I really liked. I saved the best date for last. She was hot. She was sexy. She had spunk, sass, and song. She had it all. So indeed I was excited to chill with her.

The date went well….tick tock tick tock…..time flew and it was already time to take her home. I drove her back to her house. I walked her to her doorstep. We talked, joked, laughed, and said our last goodbyes.

And then the moment came.

And folks…don’t act like you don’t know what “moment” i’m talking about. It’s the “moment.” The time where only the big cahuna’d men step up. The decision. What outweights what….fear….or courage. Do you have what it takes to go for it or not. Do ya got game? Are you not afraid to fail? Or are you gonna weiner out….and give her a simple high five?

Everything just seems to go so fast. You and your date hesitate. You both stare at eachother with a smile…waiting for the other to make some sort of movement. Some sign. Some wink. Something.

Then you realize it’s now or never. You heart starts pounding harder than ever. You moisten your lips with your tongue. You wipe those sweaty palms on the side of your jeans. You slowly move in….as your eyes slowly shut. Everything turns into slow motion. The world around you stops. You pucker up baby…..and…..

BAM! You kiss her. You lay a fat juicy smoocherooooh on her. The kiss. The magical kiss.

The love angels immediately fly to the scene, half playing trumpets and the other half singing in falsetto voice…..”Haaaaaaallelluuuuuuuuyah! Haaaaaaaalleluuuuuuya!”

And that’s it. You go home a winner….turning up the radio full blast (at the brink of blowing out your speakers) jamming it out to “YMCA” by the village people. As you drive you sing along and do the hand gestures. Y – M – C – A !

You get home. You look into the mirror to look at your face and find any evidence of what just occurred. Glitter. Lip gloss. Boogers. Brocolli. Ya know…the usual. Some people will keep the “evidence” there until they can show a friend. Others will take it off immediately with fear of…heaven forbid…..your mom finding out.

Okay.

Let’s return to August 2nd, 2003. Well….Yes..I kissed her. And it was great. Do you wanna know what was so great about that kiss? Okay. I’ll tell you. Because it was so pure. It was so innocent. It was so clean. No tongue. No crazy aggression or intensity. Just a nice, pure, magical kiss. There were no bells nor whistles attached. There were no style or creativity points given. It was just a nice classy kiss.

The next day as I was being interviewed by one of my church leaders to make sure I was indeed ready to serve a mission….I told him all about the kiss. He loved it. He went on to tell me how much he loved kissing his wife and how great kissing is.

Folks. Don’t deny it. Kissing is fun. Here at Princeton people ask me all the time if i’m allowed to kiss. They know I’m Mormon so they often times have all sorts of crazy ideas about what we CAN and CAN’T do. I tell them all the time that we are commanded by God to wait until marriage for sex. True love waits. The power to bring life to earth is a divine gift. It should be reserved for someone special…your husband/wife.

So after I explain about my chastity I proceed to tell them that kissing is definitely allowed. And it’s fun. However, because kissing is the extent of what we do (in the meantime), it’s something very special to us. Kisses shouldn’t just be given out like free walmart samples. No no no. Kisses are a sign of our affection. If we don’t truly have feelings for that person then we should never kiss her. It means something….and it SHOULD mean something.

So are you ready to hear the coolest thing you’ve heard all day?

Okay. Here it goes.

Since August 3rd, 2003….I have not yet kissed anyone. Obviously on my mission I wouldn’t be kissing girls….cuz I was doing the Lord’s work. So that explains what I was doing for two of those years. However I have been home from my mission almost 8 months…and I still haven’t kissed anyone. Am I ashamed? Not at all. But to be honest I really haven’t found someone worth kissing yet. I haven’t felt right about it yet. I’m not gonna kiss to kiss. That’s what I did in 8th/9th grade and it was pointless and stupid of me to do. So now I must continue with my life…waiting for the right moment to break the long no-kissing streak.

And don’t even try messing up my streak. Don’t even tempt me. My “first” kiss back from my mission is gonna be special. It’ll indeed be a magical kiss. But the big question remains: Who will receive Mickey’s magical kiss?

I met a really cute girl named Rachel at church today. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of her in the blog. I wouldn’t mind sharin’ some magic with her…haha….

Stay tuned to find out what happens…

Sweet dreams nerds.

Much love from your fellow Jersey nerd,
The Smooching “has-anyone-seen-my-mojo?” Mickey

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!! Yipppeeeeeh!!!!! I’m excited to see everyone in a few days!!!

Childhood/Day to Day/Love/Mormon/Princeton Days View Comments

Feb

2006

Memories of sweet Valentine Victories.

Okay. First off….Happy Valentine’s Day to all! I hope it was a fantastic day for all y’all! I hope it was filled with cheesy love poems, smelly roses and juicy kisses. I hope memories were made. I hope true romance was exemplified. I hope that had the late Saint Valentine been here…he’d have been proud. If you got some action, I hope you didn’t go beyond the limits. And If you didn’t get any action, that makes two of us. Haha…

Valentine’s Day 2006 was just another day for good ole’ Mickey. It was mediocre at best. I got a few gifts…a few good wishes….and a few kisses on the cheek. But it was by no means anything special. I went to school. I went to meetings. I ran my regular 3 miles. I made some business deals. Did the other usuals. I just got out of the shower and now i’m here. Seriously folks….it was just another day.

But in light of such a special occassion….Valentine’s Day…I thought it appropriate to reminisce and recall some of the memorable Valentine’s Day moments from the past.

First off….to clarify any confusion….the last two V-days I spent in Brazil….I was on my mission. Those weren’t anything…because Romance was the LAST thing was thinking about while I was there. I was there to serve the Lord and nothing else. So V-Day 2004 and V-Day 2005 are out. I was in Brazil preaching to people.

V-Day 2001 was memorable. It was the first of many similar V-Day shindigs that I did for a special someone. Her name was Shannon (last names withheld for obvious reasons). She worked at the bakery. I was diggin’ her (translation for those of other generations: I liked her alot). I hadn’t yet conquered her love. She wasn’t yet my girlfriend. But V-day was the perfect opportunity to win her over. Well…being the hopeless romantic that I am….I had to plan something special. And indeed I did. I’ll cut right to the chase…I don’t wanna drag this blog on too long. So I went to K-Mart and bought a singing bear. It sang “sugar pie, honey bunch.” I bought some colored gerber daisies…took them out of the vase….tied ‘em up ‘old school’ style. I bought some cheesy little ponies (because she really liked ponies). I blew up tons of balloons. I wrote a quick note. And I filled her car with all this stuff. She drove an old ghetto suburban. She was at the Bakery….I snuck into her car….left the goods…and took off. Anyway…next thing I know she’s at my door wanting to be my girlfriend. Haha. V-Day 2001: knockout. I win.

V-Day 2002. Willie’s the target (I called her willie…but she had a different name). Once again…we were in the stages of getting to know eachother…but I hadn’t sealed the deal yet with our relationship. She wasn’t yet my gf. Well….similar to V-Day 2001….I pulled some sweet tricks out of my hat. I talked to her mom and arranged for her to let us in and decorate her room while Willie was at dance practice. Boo yah! We rocked. We rolled. We conquered. (When I say “we”….I mean Joe Pututau and I. My best friend…he helped me pull all this stuff off). So anyway. I did alot of the similar things. I bought gerber daisies (I liked the gerber daisies becauses they were colorful and crazy….kinda like my personality). I created a sweet romantic CD that would continuously play in her CD player until she got home. I bought rose pedals…spread them across the room. I bought a huge fluffy stuffed animal dog. Once again…filled her entire floor with balloons. I had candles lit in various places of her room. Seriously folks….I went all out on this one. She was hot! She was a complete winner! I was a junior in high school…she was a senior (and she went to a different school). Seriously…she was my dreamboat. Anyway…to top it all off…..I created a scripture chase too. I grabbed her Bible….and went through the Songs of Soloman finding some sweet romantic words….and created sort of a “chase” or “hunt” through those passages. Anyway….so basically I seriously went ALL out on this girl. And it was funny cuz while we were there decorating her room….Willie’s mom got her camcorder and was filming us. It was sweet. I did all I could do. I wanted Willie to be mine. And indeed…I won her over.
V-Day 2002: knockout. I win (until she went to college)

Willie ended up going to BYU….she quickly caught the boys attention there…and things between her and I just didn’t work out. I was a little high school kid…she was a HOT DOG at BYU and she was quickly snagged by some BYU stud. She got married in her first semester there in college. Crazy I know! Bummer for me I guess…haha…

V-Day 2003. My senior year in high school. Okay…this one was crazy. I barely even knew the girl. Her name was “Jane” (i’m changing the name because her name is SO different that there are probably tons of BYU kids who would know who she is). I had been on ONE date with “Jane” the summer before. It was a blind date. But since that date….I hadn’t stopped thinking about her. I had a huge crush on her. She was hot. She had an amazing personality. She was super strong in the church and came from a very good family. Everything about her was just amazing. She was a senior and she went to our rival high school, Timpview. She was kinda dating their star basketball player. I was one of the studs on the Provo High team…so that made it all the more interesting. I decided to take a gamble with this one. I wanted to win her over. And it needed to be good. This was my only shot: Valentine’s Day. Anyway….I called her mom. Her mom had no idea who I was. I asked her permission to decorate her room…etc….she permitted.

We went over there (Joe and I) with all our gear. We did it very similar to the previous year…we figured this method just couldn’t go wrong. Why stop what’s working? Haha. So I brought basically the same stuff. We went with brown bags over our head. My plan was to remain NO tracks at all. I didn’t want her mother to see us because then she could describe to “Jane” what we looked like…and she’d figure it out. I wanted her to have to work for the reward of WHO did it. I wanted her to have to find me. It was all part of the strategy…it was like a game of chess. Well…we decorated the room. Cut out hearts. Rose pedals. Balloons. Music. Candles. Stuffed animals (I sprayed some nice cologne on their too). A sweet, sweet poem:

I’m not real good with words. It’s not my bread and butter.
I’m nervous and I’m shy. Forgive me if I stutter.
You don’t know who I am, cuz I haven’t had the chance,
But just to see you smile, gets my heart to dance.
I’ve always thought of you, in morning or at night,
My eyes don’t care to work, when you’re not in sight,
At this very moment, and from the day we met,
You’ve quenched my thirsty soul; you’ve filled my empty net,
Those mesmerizing eyes, will keep me in a daze,
I love your sense of humor, I love your laughing ways,
Your spirit is amazing, your soul one cannot taint,
Thank your loving parents, for raising such a saint,
I may not be your type; I guess I must accept,
Your warmth I’ve always felt, your thought I’ve always kept,
Please don’t try to find me, we won’t play hot or cold,
You’ll know not who I am, my mystery won’t unfold,
Thank you for your goodness, thanks for all you do,
You mean so much to me; I will always want you!

That was the poem I left. And of course I left the gerber daisies…and some sweet scripture references. That was it. Mission accomplished. We were out of there in no time. With the brown bags over our heads of course…and we left no track of who I was. I drove back to school…and continued on with the day.

From there…seriously i went into a daze. I don’t remember what happened. She fell in love with me, I fell in love with her…and we had a good relationship for awhile. I broke things off before I left for Brazil on my mission. But we had a good relationship nonetheless. Turns out she found out it was me who left the V-Day surprise because she came over to the Provo High parking lot and looked in my car to see if maybe I had left some evidence. She wanted it to be me. So she looked in the windows for clues. Being the “dumb” kid that I was….I left the brown bags in the car. Little did she know that that was all part of the plan. Check mate, “Jane.” I win. She discovered me. She caught me. And my “crush” turned into my girlfriend. It was all in the middle of basketball season so it kinda became a controversial issue….Timpview being our rivals and all. It was funny.

Alas….we are now in the present. V-Day 2005. No adventures to recall. No rose pedals to spread on anyone’s floor. No cheesy poems to write. No candles to light. But i’m not complaining. Life is good. Love is everywhere. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Mick’s Moral: sweetness, fearlessness and creativity can get you pretty darn far with that special someone in your life. And this goes for both the girls AND the guys! Girls…step it up! My father always tells me the following: “Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid of being special.” Live by that and you’ll find yourself getting far….with life and with love.

Peace out gangstas.

-Mickey

Childhood/Day to Day/Love/Princeton Days View Comments