Maggie Grace is  today.
So, for the back jacket of the future dust cover:
My name is Maggie Grace and I live in Alabama. I have a dog named Ollie the Collie, and I'm a brand new lawyer. I adore watermelon martinis and hamburgers with sauteed mushrooms, bacon, A-1 and ranch on them. I do know that that is disgusting. My dad is a pastor and a psychologist, my mom works for a facility that offers health care to terminally ill patients. There was a lot of talk about feelings in our house when I was growing up. I have three sisters, Alice (the beautiful one), Leila (the black sheep), and Christina (the neat one). I'm the smart one, or the funny one, or the free spirit, or the flippant one, or the one with personality (depending on which sister you ask on which day). I have eight nieces and nephews and no children (much to my mother's chagrin). I'm single, but not annoyed by that. I love to read, write, shop, hang out with my friends, and exhaust myself with strenuous exercise (guess which one of those is a lie). This blog is about me, my friends, my views on life. I hope you enjoy it. If you don't, too bad. Get your own blog.
Readers' Sites:
Bellatrix
Like an Alannis Morissette song (from the first CD - the good one) this blog is great for the angry "I need to cuss" days.
AnotherMan
A blog about a guy with a family, who works at Wal-Mart. If I will betray my Target allegiance in order to post it, you know it's worth a look.
Jane Keeler
To me, her website is one of the most interesting personal web pages ever. Great pictures, stories, etc. "Prisoner in Wonderland" is fascinating reading.
DK
Only two entries in, and he's already used the words "ubiquitous" and "smarmy." I may be in love.
Just Me
An uncomplicated blog about a complex person, with an obvious talent for a turn of phrase.
Gloriana
An absolute beauty of a blog. Worth reading for sheer structure, with a bonus of actually substantive content.
Tara
A fun blog by a sensible, smart, sassy woman. It's also picture-intensive, which is always a plus for me. Lots of interesting items here.
Note: Many thanks to Bellatrix for the instructions. That chick knows her bloggin'. Sorry it took so long to get these up, guys, but I'm a little slow.
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Wednesday, March 02, 2005
So yesterday I began to freak out.
I'm e-mailing back and forth with Jack, catching up, and he's informing me about his newly reinstated single status. (He's fabulous and back on the market, ladies!)
So we're talking (writing) about the pros and cons of singlehood and my totally taken state, and he says, "looks like the BF has become more of an F (fiance)."
My eyes flew open and I had one thought:
Suck.
That's an all-purpose curse word blatantly stolen from Lillian.
It hit me. You would think that after the many trips to the jewelry store to "browse" and "get ideas" (the boyfriend is eye-rollingly transparent and should never try to be subtle), it would have already hit me that I am no longer single. You would think that after buying four (count 'em folks, FOUR) magazines for which the entire advertising section is from David's Bridal, that I had no problem accepting that fact. You would think that after taking a trek out to the Boondocks with my sister to look over a charming bed and breakfast that just happens to have a "darling little chapel," I am VERY well resigned to the fact that I will soon be signing checks with a different last name. You would think that the fact that the boyfriend has already asked who gets to choose the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner would clue me in to the fact that the next holiday I celebrate may be with a family other than my own.
However, apparently it took Jack informing me that I would be changing Damian's abbreviation in the blog for me to get it.
I am no longer single.
I am part of a pair.
I have a better half.
I am scared.
Suck.
It's the hugeness of it that frightens me. This is the person I've been waiting for? I'm spending the REST of my LIFE with this person? I will have to share the newspaper with this person EVERY SUNDAY MORNING UNTIL I DIE? (I have conveniently forgotten here that I don't even get a paper on Sundays.) Compound these matters with the whole "virgin waiting for marriage" thing, and you have some idea why the panic attack.
Finally deciding to marry is a big deal. Finally deciding on a specific person to marry is astronomical.
When you finally get to the point that you know you're going to marry someone, there comes a point where the depth of what that means looms before you in a big cloud of doubt and second-guessing.
You suddenly realize that there is one person, and one person only, who is the reward for everything you've ever done right, and the evidence of God's mercy in spite of everything you've ever done wrong. And you'd better be darn sure you picked the right person.
The truth is, love is a lot like Chuck E. Cheese. There comes a point in time where you have to cash in your tickets. You have to stand at the counter and weigh all the tickets of singlehood and focus on one prize. And I'm standing there now, deciding between the pink plastic watch and the sliding smiley face puzzle.
Posted at 01:12 pm by MaggieGrace
 | | | Kristen
March 2, 2005 01:32 PM PST
Congrats, Maggie. Now you KNOW it's right. What you are going through is COMPLETELY normal, trust me. Might I recommend sharing these feelings with Damian. Truth is, he is feeling the same way. I found this surprising fact out when I confronted Scott about my doubts about us prior to the wedding. He laughed, told me he was scared to death about "forever" as well, and then we set out to make the nervousness of getting hitched a big joke anytime it came up. As in the following:
Scott: Aren't you glad that you get to live with THAT (being the disgusting habit I had just discoved he had that MUST leave if we are to survive one day as a married couple together) for the rest of your life?
Kristen: Only until you make enough money to support the pool boy and me and the famous and expensive life we'll share behind your back.
Scott: Cool. Mind if I watch?(EEEEHH!!!! Yuck!)
Anyhow, congrats, Mags. You are only discovering the tip of the iceberg which will definitely be true happiness for a long time to come. Your feelings are COMPLETELY natural. (I was even a bit jealous in some odd way of my single friends during my engagement, like I was going to miss something) And think of it this way-at least now someone else can take out the Sunday paper when you're finished reading it! (That is, when you combine your incomes and splurge for the Sunday issue!) =) By the way, I tried on the possible bridesmaid's dress-it is FABULOUS! | |
| | | Tom
March 2, 2005 01:47 PM PST
Worst part about 'knowing' you have the right one is that you never know until it's too late. Especially with marriage.
On the bright side which is the only side that matters, love involves faith. Love was the message of Jesus and love is all you need. Based on that, in my opinion the only thing you need to know is wether it is, as they say in The Princess Bride, 'True Love'. Listen to Van Halen OU812 for the answer to that one.
God Bless! | |
| | | Maggie
March 2, 2005 01:54 PM PST
The Princess Bride, Van Halen, and Jesus. All wise sages. Seriously, although the eclectic nature of your advice made me laugh out loud, I really appreciate your support and wisdom. | |
| | | old wizard
March 2, 2005 10:55 PM PST
I'd like to help you out on your quest for happiness, but I'm a little lost for words. Without making you think I am old I will just say that I've been happily married for... a couple years, yea, a couple three four... ok over a dozen... "15" ok! maybe I am old. Don't worry, if it's right you'll know it. Don't rush into it, I dated my wife for 3 years before getting married... and to save any doughts, yes my wife is the only woman I've been with in 19 years... I'm looking forward to a couple more... | |
| | | Tom
March 3, 2005 02:56 AM PST
I'm glad I made you 'laugh out loud'. It's fair since your writing makes me laugh too. I'm even much more grateful that you didn't use the acronym for laugh out loud. I truly despise when people write that. Don't know why? Maybe it's something to do with AOL which I also dislike. It could even go back to the Honda Del SOL which I truly wanted when I was in college, but didn't buy. Smart move in hindsight.
Anyways, don't worry. Just relax and enjoy the ride, wherever it may go. All is as it should be. Of course this is coming from a guy up late typing, to you, who I do not know, whilst a Huv-A-Round commercial plays in the background.
Peace Out! :) | |
| | | Bellatrix
March 6, 2005 08:26 PM PST
As long as you're happy, hun... You'll make it through. You always seem to. | |
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