Flashback to 16

Any time I'm browsing through movies and happen to see something with Adam Sandler in it, I am immediately reminded of the following experience.

It was the summer of 2002. My sister and I were working on painting amazing blue and purple stripes in my new bedroom. We had just moved to Manassas, Virginia from Utah and were determined to make our rooms our own before we actually moved our stuff in and started unpacking. Our parents were not too pleased with the delay of removing the boxes from the downstairs living room, but hey, they were the ones that moved me across the country at 16 right? The least they could do was wait a little bit while I tried to make the most of the experience.

Susie and I were wearing our grubby clothes and covered with bits of paint on our fingers, feet, arms, legs, and probably a bit of hair. We had measured and taped the painters tape in my room and were about 1/3 of the way done with the painting. Then we hear our mom yell down the stairs.

"Karie, the phone is for you!'

Since we had moved I had met the girls in my new ward (LDS church congregation) at a church girl's camp and had meet a few of the guys my age at church. But I had never actually hung out with any of them and I was unsure who would be calling me and for what reason.

I answered the phone and it was one of the guys from the ward inviting Susie and I to join a group going to see a movie, "Mr. Deeds" to be exact. Now, at the time I wasn't one to very often spend money to see movies in theaters, nor did I know anything about this movie or have any sort of liking for Adam Sandler.

But I craved friends and feeling included so I quickly got the information, told Susie, and then spoke with my parents. Of course, they wanted us to make friends too so they were more than willing to let us go...and I believe my dad even dished out the cash for the tickets.

Susie and I rushed about cleaning ourselves up. We had been working on projects all day, so we needed to shower, get ready, and find cute outfits—a task quite difficult when considering most of our possessions were scattered throughout an assortment of half-opened boxes.

We were both ready by the time scheduled for our hopeful new friends to pick us up. That time quickly passed. Could they not find our house? Did they forget that we had been invited? The time of the movie showing was quickly approaching. As we sat there contemplating what to do (we didn't have anyone's phone numbers), I thought back to that earlier phone call. I told Susie exactly what had been said, and I realized that I had messed up the information. The movie was not taking place until the FOLLOWING evening.

And so we changed back into our grubby clothes and continued working on our projects that evening. The following day, everything actually went down. Our new friends came to our house, picked us up, took us to the movie, and started new friendships that helped me make it through high school. (:P)

As silly as it sounds, I think the reason I remember that almost insignificant experience, is that I am oh so extremely grateful when people make an effort to reach out to me to establish friendship and make me feel welcome.

P.S. Thinking about this experience now, I have to say I am very grateful for that opportunity to paint my room. What kind of parents actually let their 14 and 16 year old daughters attempt such a project entirely on their own? My parents weren't involved at all. I picked my colors, bought the paints, and after a brief tutorial from my dad about snapping chalk lines, went about measuring and designing the room exactly as I wanted it, all by myself. (And the help of my dear sister Susie. No worries I helped with her room next.)