L advised me to study in the Maeser building because it had the quietest study rooms on campus. I had a six credit honors class in that building which meant long lectures several times a week, but I couldn’t readily see where those study rooms were. So after the second class, I sat in the commons area chatting with the boy who’d walked me downstairs. Conversation stopped and we both looked up as Dave approached and asked if he was interrupting anything. (Dave told me much later he thought the fellow, who I had met in class, was my boyfriend.) He was an active part of the conversation, but Dave was just one of my newest guys the day I met him. However, he did make my journal that night.
The following week, I still hadn’t found those study rooms, but I found Dave in the same place. As we visited, he mentioned that as a varsity scout coach in his ward, he was doing this 50/20 thing where the scouts walked 50 miles in under 20 hours that weekend. At the time I was a cross country runner and had friends who had trained for and run marathons. So I said I thought it sounded fun. (WHAT?!) Dave said, “Well, you’re welcome to come along.” I asked if he was serious and he asked if I was serious. And this is how a returned missionary got my phone number after my date-for-fun-more-limitedly resolution. That, and I just didn’t have much resolution in me.
Thursday afternoon Dave called my apartment phone to make arrangements for the “date.” My room was the closest to the kitchen and there was noooo mercy from my roommates who couldn’t believe a new man had hopped on my potential-man relationship train. So I stretched the apartment phone from the center kitchen cinder block wall, through my doorway, and up into my closet which I then closed as far as the door could slide with me and it’s usual contents inside.
We talked about the necessities of the trip, what to bring, what would be provided, times and such. Then we had a real conversation with one another. Dave loved camping, hiking, fishing, was one of nine children and he loved his family, he cracked jokes readily.… He was very different than the other boy/men I was entertaining. I can’t say exactly what was said at this point. But I know 45 minutes blew past and I was almost talking in a dream.
When I finally unfolded and emerged from my closet encasement, I stood up and felt my spirit jumping up and down inside. And then I believe there were a few spiritual cartwheels turned. It was a singular sensation so real and yet unrecognizable that I looked down to understand what I was feeling. I’ve never felt anything like it before or since. But, though I didn’t record it in my journal because I was NOT going to commit to this fellow yet, it is etched on my heart and has been a confirming witness to me in years since that my spirit recognized Dave’s spirit and it was delighted beyond containment.
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