Walking in to the gymnasium I of course still didn't know hardly anyone on campus, but I was determined to get past my shyness and get out there and make more friends.
I strolled along the different booths as people tried selling me on why I should join their club, promising fun activities or food. The food almost got me, but then I saw a girl a few booths down that was just glowing with some sort of positive light. Really it was one of those times again where I just knew she was going to be my friend.
"Can you sing?" she asked me as I got within hearing distance, a huge smile spread across her face.
"Umm...some people tell me I can," I responded with a shy grin.
"Well you should come with us on Tuesday nights and sing to old people at the nursing home!"
And that's how it all began.
I decided to go along with her and sing, only once if I remember correctly, and then we were pretty much inseparable afterwards.
This girl was so silly and funny, I couldn't get enough of her. We'd giggle and make jokes everywhere we went. I felt comfortable telling her almost anything about myself, even admitting my "straight crush" on Jake Gyllenhaal.
My other best friend, The Boy With The Shoes, was immediately attached to her as well, and the three of us spent the next few years of college growing and exploring who we were together, using each other as backups to bounce off a new idea of what we might want our personality to be.
She took me and The Boy With The Shoes on the most amazing date I've ever had up to this point in my life by making us a citywide scavenger hunt, complete with a booklet of pictures, memories, inside jokes, and a soundtrack to accompany it all.
As we got older we get a little more naughty as I of course eventually came out to her and we reached our 21st birthdays and the drinking began. I was her first kiss, though not sure how well that was considering I was pretty drunk. But then again she didn't really have anything to base it off of, so I bet it was amazing. ;)
I gave her lessons on how to...please a man. From what I hear I was a good teacher, so you're welcome for that.
But of course in the midst of all our giggling and bad behavior she was one of my rocks in the most tumultuous time of my life. She would sit with me while I cried, confused on how to combine my faith with my sexuality, unable to understand how I could be both the Christian I wanted and the homosexual I was. She would encourage me and pray with me, hold my hand and share her own struggles. It's those times she carved a place into my heart and soul.
However, as life has a way of doing, we ended up growing apart both geographically and friendship wise. I always imagined she would be that friend for me that I would love her kids like my own, shower them with gifts, etc. But distance has a way of making things harder and I didn't do much on my end to maintain things the way they were.
So this is my tribute to you, The Girl I Corrupted, for you really are a special person to me in my life and played a part in shaping me into who I am today. Thank you for your love and friendship and silly times with me. I'm thankful for your flexibility when your drunk, the way you'd spin my cat in circles, for coloring in the noses on the animals in the coloring books so they could breathe, and that you really didn't let me corrupt you completely. :)
From the day I met you I could see your beautiful spirit, and now it's even more apparent with the mother and wife that you've become. I hope you let your sons see that in you and teach them how to be just as amazing.
