Live and learn...

They say that you'll meet someone special when you least expect it....and that's what happened. Jason was very memorable...

It was Pioneer Days at the Cherokee Strip Museum in Arkansas City. I had told Heather that I would help her out during the day, and I was also there to take some pictures for the newspaper I was working for. I had also hoped I would be able to see the gunfighting group that I had heard about from Andrew, the guy that I had met there at the museum.

When I walked over to the place where the group was congregated, as they had already done one performance that day, I think Andrew was with me….or maybe he was there and saw me walk over there.  But when I got there, Jason greeted me with the comment, “You must be single and fabulous!” This took me by surprise! I didn’t know he knew about the shirt that I own that says that very thing on it…I had been wearing it when I met Andrew. So, that struck me as remarkable AND memorable right off the bat. Then, he also struck me as very personable and funny, and he could make me laugh. That always strikes a chord with me.

I looked at the rest of the group and met the rest of them, as Andrew introduced me, or they introduced themselves. Then Jason, in his effort to make me laugh, I guess, showed me his puppets, and made his different voices with them. I loved it.

Later that day, after I had taken some pictures, and wandered around some more, I made sure I rode in the stagecoach that was available, along with Heather. Jason rode in it, too, at the time, and I remember thinking how much I like the way he looked, the way he smiled and just his mannerisms and way of looking at me.

 Later that evening, there was a dance at the Museum. It was a period dance, and the lady who was there was showing everyone how to dance like they did in the pioneer days. Andrew showed up, as did Jason and Mary. I guess by that time, I assumed that Jason was with Mary, and I didn’t bother to find out any differently. It turns out that they were not really together; they were just riding together, and are friends.

I still liked looking at Jason, and liked that way he looked. I took notice of him, but still was trying not to go much farther than that, thinking that he was attached. He did seem to try to talk me into coming to Ingalls the next day to see them do another gunfight, but he says that he was doing that to help Andrew out. I DID go there the next day, and ended up having a nice conversation with him there. I again liked the way he looked and the things he did and said…..the way he carried himself, how tall he is, and the way he smiled, and could make me laugh. But I still thought he and Mary were together. I also found out that he lives in _____, and I figured that was pretty far away, and I would probably not see him for a long time, if ever.

Jason was very special to me for a long time. It is absolutely incredible the way we clicked when we were together, how things have come together for us, in many ways.

Going back to when we met….. I continued to date Andrew a little bit, even after I met Jason and realized I like him. Out of respect for Andrew, and thinking that Jason was not interested, and also that he was attached, I let it go. Or tried to.  Andrew made a few mentions of Jason when we were together, and I think he knew that I liked Jason…well, he knew that I liked his way with words, and his interest in writing.

 The day that Andrew came to pick me up on his way to Wichita, he had Jason with him. We all rode up to Wichita together, and had lunch together…and it was a nice trip. I was very conscious of Jason sitting next to me, but again, I tried to be a “good girl” and not touch him, or seem overly interested in him. I was being respectful of the fact that I was “dating” Andrew. How do I tell someone that I’m dating that I’d much rather date his friend? So I continued with things that way they were.

Then, when my car died, Andrew helped to get it back to ______ for me, and for that I am grateful. He gave me quite a few rides to work, which I was grateful for also. But after the day spent with him and Jason, I pretty much knew that I had the wrong guy… the wrong cowboy…What to do?

It was at that time that he gave me Jason’s phone numbers, and he told me that he’d given Jason my phone numbers. Why, I’m not sure, but I was sure glad he did! It was as if he knew that Jason and I were meant to be together, but I’m not sure about that either, as it turned out. 

Jason and I got in touch with each other. I think he called me first, to ask if I’d heard anything from Andrew. And since, at that time, I hadn’t, and Andrew was in the middle of moving and I didn’t know how to contact him, I didn’t know anything. But I was absolutely thrilled to hear from Jason, and to have a chance to talk to him. Those first few conversations on the phone were long, and we finally got around to the fact that we had been interested in each other from the start. But we both thought the other was involved with someone, and we were trying to be good, and not misbehave in anyway.

We talked a lot about Andrew and how he was just coming out of a marriage, and I assured Jason that I was not interested in Andrew as a relationship. I made one last phone call to Andrew to let him know that I just wanted to be friends, and that I didn’t want to date him anymore. Jason and I talked on the phone for hours those first few weeks. We still talk every single night. It’s helped our relationship so much, and I can’t imagine a day without talking to him, or my life without him. It’s that simple, and I can’t hardly believe it. It is so good. When you have someone in your life that is good and right, it is SO good!

That's been over four years ago....and my feelings for Jason have changed somewhat. I was head over heels in love with him for many months...I think maybe he was too. I'm not sure. We both got a bit scared and about the time that we had to make a decision about our future, I got a job offer in another state. Of course, Jason didn't think he had anything to offer me, to keep me there. Now that I'm 800 miles away from him, it's made me see things in a different way. We both have our lives, but we will always be friends...if anything comes of it, that's only for HP to know right now.