Choosy Moms Choose The Gyspy

An odd thing has been happening lately. I have had mothers of single (and not-so-single) men telling me that, "you need to date my son!"

While I'm flattered at the compliment, I also have to stop and giggle that this loud-mouthed, opinionated, piss-and-vinegar Italian with the vocabulary of a sailor is winning the hearts of suburban mothers who are anxious to marry off their sons.

My favorite future mother-in-law HAS to be Debi, though.

Several years ago, I was at a wedding of a long time family friend. I attended with my parents because weddings make me nervous and going with dates make me crazy ("when are YOU two getting married?!") Debi also attended the wedding and, at one point in the evening, I realized that she was taking pictures of me. Before the end of the night, she managed to get my phone number, which she then proceeded to give to her son, Eric.

Well, it wasn't long before Eric called me and the two of us met for drinks and subsequently went on several dates - including a Cubs game. In retrospect, the Cubs game is a perfect illustration of how desperately Debi wants Eric to get married (more specifically, to me.)

You see, Eric's parents had SIX tickets to this Cubs game. His parents were going, his sister and her husband were going, and Eric was only invited to go IF he brought a female date with him. Debi knew full well that I would be that date. It was about three dates in and we were already triple dating with his family. It was hilarious and an absolute blast. Plus, I have to love a family that loves the Cubs!

I'm not sure exactly what happened, to be honest. But Eric and I just kind of stopped talking. No disagreement. No break up. Just a fizzle. My best friend says that since we didn't break up, we're actually still dating.

Funny she should say that...

My mom recently ran into Debi. Debi mentioned to my mother that Eric was still single. My mom echoed that I was as well. Additionally, my mom referred Debi to my sister to get her hair done. This is where things get interesting.

After Debi's first appointment with my sister, I get a call from my sister that started something like this:

Jenni: Mrs. Waligora and I have decided that you and Eric are destined to be together. You should call him.

Amy: Shut up.

Jenni: No, seriously. He's single and he really likes you. You should call him.

Amy: I'm not calling him; he should call me.

Jenni: So you'll go out with him?!

Amy: I'll talk to him.

Jenni: Oh, it's love!

Amy: Shut up.

This past Saturday, Debi came in to see my sister again and the phone call that followed went like this:

Jenni: What are you doing tonight?

Amy: My high school reunion is tonight; I'm going to meet friends at the Fifth.

Jenni: Well, I have plans for you.

Amy: I told you I have plans.

Jenni: But this is important!

Amy: What is it?

Jenni: Eric is going to be at a party at [our neighbor]'s house tonight. He is expecting you.

Amy: I'm not going. I have plans. Tell him to call me.

Jenni: Well, I gave Mrs. Waligora your number but you should know that Eric has been hanging out in Homewood bars hoping to run into you.

Amy: He's been WHAT?! Why doesn't he just call me?!

Jenni: HE DOESN'T HAVE YOUR NUMBER.

Amy: Oh my gosh.

What a frickin Yente. I wanted to just start singing, "Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match" to my sister. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I do NOT respond well when other people make decisions for me.

And, seriously, stalking my bars! If I didn't know the guy, I would have thought about a restraining order right in that moment. But, after I got past the initial shock, I couldn't help but compare the gesture to that of John Cusack's character in Serendipity. A genuine quest.

So, I stopped by the party just to say hi. After all, if he's been spending so much time looking for me, I guess I can meet him halfway and give him my number again.

Honestly, it was good to see him. And he did call. We talked for awhile and we're meeting for drinks tomorrow night.

I imagine Debi will have us engaged in the next few weeks. Keep an eye out for your save the date cards!

What's A Gypsy To Do (Next)?

From the outside looking in, many people mistakenly assume that I have no direction. I'm simply dust in the wind waiting for the next breeze to take me away. To their credit, it does appear that way. But, honestly, I do have direction. And, more than direction, I have a goal. The goal may seem absent, but, to the contrary, it is ever present. The goal is simply this: unwavering quest to find my real, true passion. I have found that many long for that passion; that "bigger purpose" in life. However, instead of chasing down their dreams, they settle and long for that piece (and peace) that's missing.

I'll admit, I'm still not sure what will make me happy nor am I'm not even sure whether or not I'm pointing in the right direction. What I do know are the things that have brought me joy in the past, paired with my skill set (as well as the things that I am capable of learning,) offer me a wide range of possibilities. And I'm not too proud to experiment and play until I find just the right combination that makes me want to jump out of bed in the morning just so I can get to work.

In my last post I revealed just exactly how "all over the place" I really am. And honestly, after searching the recesses of my memory to name all the places I've lived and the jobs I've held, I'm a little bamboozled that I'm not exhausted from moving (on average 1.5 times per year) or learning how to do each job that I've held. So, why not test my luck further?

For those of you who don't know, I moved back to my parents house a couple of months ago in order to meet two goals: 1. To pay off debt and 2. To go back to school and pursue my teaching certification.

If you know me well or if you read my last entry, you know that I've actually traveled this road of wanting to be a teacher before - and I couldn't quite settle into just exactly it was that I wanted to teach during my time in college. And, I'll be honest, I still haven't quite nailed it down yet. But, I'm am confident that it's something that I want to try - even if I find that teaching is just another stop on my journey.

Being back at home with mom and dad is humbling. You have to relearn how to structure your day. And, for me, I had to learn how to live with people again (I'm still working on this.) I'm still getting used to running into people that have known my family for generations while around town. And, let's be honest, when outsiders hear that you're in your late 20's, living at home with your parents, and working part-time jobs, they just assume that you're a bum. So, dealing with that stigma has been rough.

But, I am blessed. I have great people in my life that recognize my assets and have given me jobs, which they are willing to be flexible with in order to accommodate my (eventual) school schedule. My parents invited me back into their home. I'm convenient to my sister and friends again. And I get to try something new.

I'd be lying if I told you that it was all rainbows and unicorns. Sure, there are obstacles and frustrations - but life would be so boring with out them. There are days when I am so frustrated, it takes every effort to keep from collapsing into a sobbing heap on the floor. But, at the end of the day (or the next morning,) I count my blessings and look for the lesson in the obstacle.