Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. So today in the San Jose Nia Class we danced to a playlist of songs with Love in them. Our focus was Love. Self-love. Love with respect and non-judgment. We just moved and had fun. Also, since it is Valentine’s Day tomorrow I thought I would honor my valentine by sharing with you a story of his gallantry and bravery. This happened a very long time ago. Before Twitter and Facebook. It is kind of nice to have stories to be able to tell, huh? Now-a-days things are shared pretty-much instantly so it cuts down on the story telling. This is one of my favorites. If we have ever met in person, you probably have already heard this. And I really thought that I had posted it, but I cannot find it. If this happened now there would be pictures because it really could have gone in the The Guinness Book of World Records. My hubby is my hero, even before he was my hubby. He saved me from the biggest spider I have never seen!
When my husband and I were dating I lived in a small apartment. The kitchen was tiny. It was a galley style kitchen, ya know, like a narrow hallway, but it was not a hallway, there was only one in and one out. If someone was at the stove cooking, someone else could not be at the counter preparing unless both persons stood off center. The fridge was super small. The stove was a four burner, but all four burners practically touched each other. Here is where I practiced deep squats because you could not bend over and look in the lower cupboards. There was not enough room to fold OVER, you HAD to squat.
One day . . . I don’t even know what I was looking for, I reached into one of the under the counter cupboards and I felt something odd. Something hairy. I drew my hand out with it in my hand. Now here is where it gets kind of fuzzy. I am not sure what I did with it. But I do know, I stood up, I shut the cupboard and I thought that it was the biggest spider leg I had ever seen. I decided to leave it for my boyfriend to take care of for me. Now . . . as I mentioned . . . it was a very small kitchen. From that cupboard in the corner to the end of the counter was probably two steps. I can say that by the time I took the third step out of the kitchen I had forgotten about the fist sized spider in my cupboard.
Did I see it? No. How did I know it was fist sized? Well, from the size of its leg . . . it was AT LEAST the size of my fist. How did I live in my apartment knowing it was there? Well, like I said, on my third step, I forgot about it. I chalk that up to my survival skills because seriously, if I’d have thought of the fact that there was a HUGE spider in my cupboard, I would have not been able to live there. My boyfriend was not coming over for a couple of days. I HAD to forget about it and move on!
Now at the time I didn’t know my boyfriend was afraid of spiders. I mean, really though, unless you LIKE spiders, there is going to be some wanting-to-avoid-them . . . especially if the leg is 3 inches long. I believe it was a long time after (probably a hundred spiders later) when my husband admitted to being “icked out” by spiders.
I don’t remember if I asked him on the phone if he would help me or if he was there. I kinda think I completely forgot until he was actually THERE. I think we were talking and it dawned on me that there was a spider in my cupboard. I do remember he put on a brave face. Now remember, my kitchen was SMALL. There was no way and no WHERE to run or move. To get the spider he had to get down on all fours — or at least a squat — and put his head practically IN the cupboard.
Being the supportive girlfriend I was, I left the room. (Don’t judge! It was the biggest spider leg EVER!!!!!!!!)
Now again, I am not sure exactly what happened next. If he reads this he might pipe in. All I know is that he got down on the kitchen floor and attempted to rescue his absent damsel in distress. I think he might have screamed. Then it was followed by laughter. Ok, I don’t remember except there eventually WAS laughter. He was so brave and kind and gallant. He rescued me from a petrified potato! We were both very relieved. And . . . he was the hero even though it was just a vegetable he saved me from.
He is still my hero.
(Happy Valentine’s Day, Love!)
What stories do you have to share? Any about your Valentine? Any that make you laugh?
Terre Pruitt's Blog 