Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
I didn’t realize until I showed up to the Seattle Chocolate Factory that we were on a “date”
He was a boy, she was a girl
Can I make it any more obvious?
He was a punk, she did ballet
What more can I say?
I didn’t want to date Tim – not at first. We were co-workers at the time and I wasn’t interested in being in a relationship, let alone one that could possibly infringe on my professional reputation. I told him as such. He was respectful and kind when I told him I wanted to be friends. And when he agreed, he meant it. We became friends - great friends, and that’s what made me want to spend more time with him.
He wanted her, she'd never tell
Secretly, she wanted him as well
But all of her friends stuck up their nose
They had a problem with his baggy clothes
I remember the moment when I decided to let myself fall for him. We were waiting in line to rent canoes on Lake Washington in Seattle and he had just finished telling me a wild story, one that most people would consider a “red flag”, but one that showed me many things… It showed me how different our lives have been. It showed me the differences in our world views. It showed me the kinds of mistakes he’d made.
He was a skater boy, she said, "See you later, boy"
He wasn't good enough for her
She had a pretty face, but her head was up in space
She needed to come back down to Earth
When he finished his story, I had a flashback to a memory from when I was 7 years old, riding in the back of a car listening to ‘Sk8r Boi’ playing on the radio. For many years after, my aunt would tell the story of how I confidently proclaimed the moral of the song - don’t judge a book by its cover.
Five years from now, she sits at home
Feeding the baby, she's all alone
She turns on TV, guess who she sees?
Skater boy rockin' up MTVShe calls up her friends, they already know
And they've all got tickets to see his showShe tags along and stands in the crowd
Looks up at the man that she turned down
It’s one of those points in my life where I could have easily followed the well-worn path and missed out on the magic. I could have seen all of the ways that we were different as “signs” that we weren’t a good match…
He was a skater boy, she said, "See you later, boy"
He wasn't good enough for her
Now he's a superstar, slammin' on his guitar
Does your pretty face see what he's worth?He was a skater boy, she said, "See you later, boy"
He wasn't good enough for her
Now he's a superstar slammin' on his guitar
Does your pretty face see what he's worth?
Or I could see them as opportunities for us to complement each other. Because his story also showed me how much he’s reflected on his past and learned from his experiences. It showed me his inclination to embrace the unknown. It showed me how hard he has worked and how much he’s grown. It showed me his willingness to be earnest and open with the truth. I decided to take a leap of faith.
Sorry, girl, but you missed out
Well, tough luck, that boy's mine now
We are more than just good friends
This is how the story ends
Too bad that you couldn't see
I see the man that boy could be
There is more than meets the eye
I see the soul that is inside
He’s carefree, I’m meticulous. He’s confident, I’m awkward. He embraces the moment, I plan for the future. We are different in many ways, but the things we have in common matter more – compassion, curiosity, adventure, resilience. We are different in many ways, but the things that make us unique make life beautiful and exciting. We are different in many ways, but less than we used to be. We’ve helped each other grow into better versions of ourselves and expand our views of the world. Together, we are greater than the sum of our parts.
He's just a boy, and I'm just a girl
Can I make it any more obvious?
We are in love, haven't you heard
How we rock each other's world?
Now every day is like a never-ending date (in a good way). This was one of our recent dates to the Royal Gorge Bridge Park in Colorado.
I love stories. He wanted to write stories. I thought about how wonderful it would be if one day he wrote me stories. It never even crossed my mind that he would reignite a dream that I once had of being a writer, that he would believe in me so that I could believe in myself. And now here we are, 8 years later to the day (yesterday), still deeply in love and making magic stories together.
I'm with the skater boy
I said, "See you later, boy”I'll be backstage after the show
I'll be at our studio
Singin' the song we wrote
About a girl you used to knowI'm with the skater boy
I said, "See you later, boy"
I'll be backstage after the show
I'll be at our studio
Singin' the song we wrote
About a girl you used to know
I think it’s wonderful that stories (even ones hidden in mainstream pop songs) can have such a significant impact on our lives – their lessons stay with us long after we’ve forgotten the words and influence our decisions whether we realize it or not.
I’m so grateful to The Matrix for the cautionary tale of what can happen when we fail to listen to our hearts. Without it I might not have had the courage to fall in love with my best friend, my partner-in-life, my soulmate.
XOXO,
Court
