"Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere
A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching
In the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin', somewhere in the night . . . "
This song played the first time Sean grabbed me to dance with him. I found the words to be ironic, sentimental and oddly familiar. Sean and I both started classes at Western Michigan University in the fall of 2006. Sean, from Dearborn (Or Detroit for all my Caro/country folks) chose to live in the valleys, which are 'over the river and through the woods,' aka a long walk, in the bitter cold and unforgiving heat. The valleys were known as a 'good time' and catered to freshman interaction. I chose to live in the Burnhams, which was located among the many instructional buildings on the campus. The Burnhams housed many athletes who were early risers and did not tolerate noise or partying. The valley students, mostly city kids, stayed in the four building vicinity of the valley dorms, while those who lived "directly" on campus, hardly ventured through the snow or the heat to get to the valleys. So, the chance of Sean and I running into one another was not very high. Plus, Sean's curriculum required that he take a bus to a distant campus across the city during his freshman year. Thereby, making the chances of us running into one another even less likely.
Oddly enough, I had the joy of setting my eyes on Sean during our orientation in the Miller Auditorium. One of the Fall Welcome Ambassadors called out a seat number and whoever was in that seat number received a prize. No one was in the seat number that was called, so this fellow freshman decides to start hurdling the rows in the auditorium, which caused a herd of students to follow in pursuit. The first guy to start the race was none other than Sean Duncan. His legs were so long he was able to step right over each row with no problem... until he noticed a mass of people running after him. Sean tripped and fell between the rows. He quickly got back up and raced to the seat number, to be beaten by only a few seconds. Sean was a good sport, but he was his loud boisterous self, walking back to his seat swinging his arms, pretending to be mad, all with a huge grin on his face. I could hear people calling back to him and noticed that he came with a bunch of people he seemed very familiar with. They were a rowdy bunch, and I immediately thought that they were "those" kids. I would soon become one of the "those" kids.
Sean and I would continue to have random distance meetings, as such, throughout freshman year. I joined a sorority my second semester and planned to move into the sorority house my sophomore year. Sean decided to get an apartment for his sophomore year and to room with a friend from back home. Our lives and circle of friends could not be any more different.
A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
I had applied to be a Fall Welcome Ambassador for the fall 2007. I moved into the sorority house and had a few days to unpack before I was scheduled for training. While most college students were attending welcome back parties and such, I was hitting the hay early and staying clear of anything that could remotely get me into trouble. Per my position with the university, I had to stay clear of all the fun. I was working from 7:30 AM until 9:00 PM and sometimes 10:00 or 11:00 PM. Once my week and half long position was complete, I went out with my sorority sisters on a friday night. Unbeknownst to me, one of my sisters went to school with Sean and I was about to hang out with "those" kids.
Sean walked into the room after my arrival. I was stunned by his height and in awe of his beauty. I immediately was shy and probably said awkward things. Within twenty minutes or so, Sean decided to leave with some other people he knew. When I stood to shake his hand (because that is what awkwardly flirtatious people do) I was surprised to find that even with my four inch heals on, Sean was still taller than me. I must have surprised Sean as well, because he said to me, "Well you're a tall class of water...?" Awesome, I know.
Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching
In the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin', somewhere in the night . . . "
Later the same night, I would see Sean from afar. Too afraid I'd continue to make an ass of myself, and thinking that he was so out of my league, I would not speak to Sean again for almost a week. Now a week seems like a short amount of time, but it seems like an eternity when you continue to think about someone day and night. On the following Wednesday, Sean asked one of my sorority sisters for my number. So, thinking he would call or text me on Thursday, I eagerly waited with baited breath . . . no call. Friday came and went as well. It was not until Saturday afternoon that Sean texted me. He was having a gathering at his apartment and wanted to know if I would come. I had already made plans with my sisters, which I was not going to reschedule, plus I wanted this guy to have to work for my presence after making me wait so long. Saturday was unacceptable to me . . . the rule is that you wait until the following Thursday to contact someone you like over the weekend. Clearly Sean missed that memo. So in diva fashion, I went out with my sisters. Sean continued to text me until I gave in. I took a chance by going to this gather without confidently knowing someone. Sure there were other college/fratnerity boys there who were informed of my presence so that they could watch out for me, but that was only because they were our “brother” fraternity at the time. This was standard when it came to fraternities and sororities . . . looking out for each other. But I did not have a single sister with me. I was completely out of my element and not knowing what to expect. For those of you who know me (the bride), you know I don't like new environments and most certainly will not do a new environment alone!
Workin' hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
While at this gathering of Sean's friends, we did not speak to each other very much. I was shy and extremely nervous. Sean was this gorgeous co-ed who personally invited me?! WHAT?!! After everyone left for the night, Sean and I sat up talking at his dinning room table . . . for hours . . . laughing . . . sharing stories . . . talking about our families and life experiences . . . until the sun came up the next morning. We never lost interest of one another and laughed so hard that we cried. I'd never had such a wonderful conversation with someone before. I certainly did not want the moment to end, but I also did not want my sisters yelling at me from the windows of our house as I walked home in the morning. So, like a gentlemen, Sean walked me home while there was still dew in the grass and you could just start to hear the birds chirping. I gave him a hug at my door and we parted ways. You know in the movie Dirty Dancing, when Baby gets to the party and says she carried a watermelon? Well that is how I felt . . . I gave him a hug? What guy calls after getting a hug? A chivilarious one, that's who. :)
I was head over heals for him and I was only 19 years old. After our all night long conversation, I felt like I had known Sean all my life. It was a comfortability that I did not know existed. And there was this immediate connection that would last through all of our trials and tribulations to come . . .
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to the feelin'
Streetlights, people
We went on to becoming an official couple, thanks to Sean's best-man Austin Suchoval, on September 15, 2007, just three weeks after we met. We got our first dog just two months into our relationship and haven't looked back. We celebrated our 21st birthdays and both graduated from college with bachelor degrees. We gained friends and lost friends. We discovered ourselves and what made us happy. We traveled to Punta Cana on a spring break and helped each other with our studies and job searching. We gained a son, but lost both of our dads. We moved to another city in a leap of faith, so that I could attend law school. And now, here we are, in our late twenties, still going strong . . . eight years later.
Don't stop believin'
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