Thursday, November 6, 2008

The Collision of Past, Present, and Fame

The summer after eighth, I went on a 2-week mission trip to London with my youth group. (Can you find me in the picture below?)
It was in preparation for this trip, that I met Ryan. Ryan was my youth pastor's nephew. He was cute, talented, funny, and four years older than me. I spent the entirety of the trip hoping, praying, wishing that Ryan would notice me. In typical eighth-grade-girl fashion, I was obsessed. I remember standing at the piano while a tank-top-clad Ryan played Bryan Adam's "Wherever You Go" every night. 
I returned from the trip and promptly broke up with my boyfriend (Sorry Mike!) and spent the next semester trying to get Ryan to notice me at youth group. I have a journal full of entries about the birthday roses Ryan gave me, (though they were a group gift, he just happened to be the one to hand them to me) and hugs and conversations that made me sure that going out with him was just around the corner. I was a silly, silly girl. 

Fast forward to today. This Ryan, the object of my eighth grade obsession, is Ryan Teddar, the front man and lead singer of One Republic. (Cue music, "...and it's too late to apologizzzeee, it's tooo laaate...") 

Tonight, my friend Shannon and I are going to their concert in Denver. 

And we have meet and greet passes! 

I'm so excited, but I'm having a little issue. WHAT THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY???!!

"Hi, Ryan. Remember me? I was that totally dorky girl that went on a mission trip with you 12 years ago. Remember?" "I had a ton of zits and really bad hair? I weighed about 50 less pounds? I made a fool of myself every time I was around you?" 

"Ummm...okay, if that stellar description doesn't ring any bells...I did see you about a year ago at your Uncle Tim's 50th birthday party. Yeah, I was the one that was too nervous to look at you because now you are freaking famous." 

I don't think that either of those approaches will turn out too well. 

Perhaps he will just recognize me. (Yeah, right) 

If you ask my friend John, he will tell you that I have a tendency to loose my mind a little bit when in the presence of famous people. I just get so excited. 

Memories or not, I'm going to focus tonight on keeping my cool, trying not to shake, and acting natural. 

I'll let you know how it goes. 

1 comment:

Brie said...

Oh my we have all changed since that picture! What a great trip that was! I was totally with you in crushing on Ryan!! Glad you had a good time at the concert.