Jake & Jamie Part 1

Dear Jake,

I hope this isn’t strange, but I saw you on the train this morning and I really wanted to talk to you, but I was so nervous and by the time I finally worked up the courage, you weren’t there anymore. I was so bummed and as I was walking away, I noticed a business card in the seat where you were sitting and that’s how I got your contact information…Oh gosh, I really hope this isn’t too weird. I promise I’m not like crazy or a stalker or anything like that. I’m pretty normal actually. I just saw a handsome guy, and I felt like maybe we could hit it off and although you had already left, when I saw the business card, I felt like maybe it was a sign. I don’t know. Maybe that does sound a little weird.

Ok I admit, it’s crazy, yes and I can’t explain it, but I saw you sitting there and I just got this…feeling. Yeah, you’re, definitely going to think I’m crazy, LOL. Anyway, maybe this will provide some context; so I have this deck of cards with daily affirmations and I randomly picked one today and it said, “Something good will happen today, but only if you take a chance”. 

Hi chance…consider yourself taken.

Or…half taken, since I didn’t actually work up the courage to physically go up and talk to you, well, I did, but not soon enough. I went to the bathroom to give myself a pep talk and when I came back, well like I said, you had already left. 

Oh my gosh, you’re probably wondering who in the heck is this, right? Probably should have introduced myself before all the rambling, oh boy, this is going GRREEAATT. Well, my name is Jamie. I’m 22 years old and I’m a 5th grade substitute teacher. Uh, things I like to do; I love to go out dancing and I love traveling and learning about different cultures. Some of my favorite places that I’ve been to are France, Italy, Spain, and Bali. I stayed at each of those places for a couple of weeks and learned everything I could about the culture, from the food, to the music, to the basic belief systems. I find it so fascinating that people usually assume that we are so different, but in actuality we are really quite similar. But you wouldn’t really know that unless you gave someone a chance, and I think that’s whats wrong with our society, we don’t really give people chances.

Anyway, aside from traveling I also play the violin. I’ve been playing since I was a child and its my favorite instrument to play. I also play the piano, the guitar, and the cello. I was almost a part of an orchestra, but decided at the last minute, that it wasn’t for me. Lol. Although I play a lot of instruments, my favorite instrument to listen to is one I don’t know how to play, and that is the saxophone. Something about it, just sends chills down my spine. Every single time. When I was a child my parents put me in so many different activities. Piano, violin, guitar, ballet, contemporary, you name it. Yup, they were one of those parents. But you know what? I’m actually glad they were like that. When I think about it, what I enjoyed the most isn’t one particular instrument or extracurricular activity that I did, I realize I actually just love the process of learning. I think maybe that’s why I became a substitute teacher and I’m currently finishing up my degree to become a general education teacher.

So, that’s a little bit about me, but I kinda feel like I’ve been rambling enough already, so if you have any question please feel free to ask. Hopefully you’re still reading this and didn’t delete this email. OMG what if this email just got put into spam and you never see it. Lol.  Anyway, I would love it if we could get to know each other. If you’re interested of course, just email me back (if I’m not stuck in your spam that is…haha). My email is JamieJ22@aol.com, oh wait I guess you already know that right Lol, gosh why am I so nervous writing this, anyway you can just hit reply and respond to me, if you want of course.

So I just had this thought, what if this business card isn’t even yours? What if I am talking to some random person who left it there way before you sat there? And his name is Jake, but he’s not you, so your name’s not Jake and I’ve been addressing, “Jake” this whole time, but he’s not you and you’re not him. LOL. Soooo, if you’re the sandy-blonde, blue-eyed guy who was on the train this morning, November 2nd, around 6:30am, the Pascack Valley Line going towards Oradell who was wearing a navy blue suit with a bright yellow tie, then this email is for you. I’m the ginger or red-head that was in the seat adjacent to yours, wearing a lime green sundress and a long burgundy winter coat. If you do not fit this descriptions…PLEASE DISREGARD. DELETE ME NOW. He, he, he, ha ha ha. Do not respond. So awkward. But if it is you, Jake, or the sandy-blonde, blue-eyed guy in the navy blue suit, with the bright yellow tie, then I hope to hear from you soon! 

P.S I promise I’m not crazy. Not the bad type of crazy anyway. Lol. 

Sincerely Jamie,

11/02/1997

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Dear Jamie,

I’m really happy you decided to email me. Yes, I am the sandy-blonde, blue-eyed guy with the navy blue suit and the yellow tie lol. I’ve actually seen you riding the train the last several months, and I convinced myself I wasn’t your type so, I’ve just been admiring you from afar. That day, I thought I saw you glancing at me and I wanted to say hi, but I saw you get up and leave. I left my business card where I was sitting and hoped you would take it and get in contact with me. Now I sound like the crazy stalker, LOL. I’m not by the way. I’m normal…just like you. Although, you don’t sound, normal to me at all. I mean not that you don’t sound normal, normal, obviously you’re normal, normal, I just mean you don’t sound “normal”. Ok, that was clear as mud, usually I’m pretty good with my words, but what I’m trying to say is you sound pretty darn interesting. For instance, I think it’s amazing that you have traveled to so many places. I also have an interest in traveling. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to visit many places, but it’s definitely something I want to do. I actually just applied for a passport if you can believe it or not. So I should be well on my way to traveling any day now. Maybe you can give me some travel pointers. I’m not really sure where I want to go first, but definitely somewhere where I would need a passport.

A 5th grade sub huh? You must have a lot of patience and you must love kids. Well, I guess that may not necessarily be true LOL. You could also be the worst sub ever. Lol. You know those subs who it was obvious they got into teaching just to make children’s lives miserable…ugh Ms. Stone, sorry, I just had a flashback! Ms. Stone was my 12th grade substitute teacher and she was horrible! Our 12th grade teacher, Melissa…Ms. Ross, got into this horrible freak accident and never came back to work, so we were stuck with Ms. Stone for the remainder of the year, which was almost half the school year. It was torture! Pure torture…sometimes I feel she was sent as punishment. 

But anyway, enough of that, I’m sure you’re an awesome teacher. So, do you, like kids? I love kids. I don’t have any of my own yet, but I really do want children one day. It’s funny you said you had “one of those” parents. I grew up wishing I had "one of those" parents LOL. My family wasn’t able to afford any of that kind of stuff. But if they could have, I would have wanted to learn to play the piano as well, but if I could just pick one, it would have to be the saxophone. Something about the saxophone has always captivated me. So that’s one thing we have in common for sure. And hearing you say it brings chills down your spine, makes me really regret not learning how to play. I would have loved playing the sax for you. I think I was maybe 10 years old when I first heard the sound of the saxophone. My parents were watching TV and I was supposed to be sleeping, but I heard this beautiful music and I was drawn to it. So I snuck out of bed and went into the living room and that’s when I saw it for the first time. This man was playing the saxophone so beautifully. I was mesmerized. Since then, I promised myself I would learn how to play. But I never did. Life. You know how that goes. But maybe it’s not too late and when I do learn, I will definitely play for you.

Umm, so I just turned 28 years old, never been married, came close once, no kids yet, like I said, and I own my own painting business. I was actually trying to sell the business while I was in New Jersey, but that didn’t work out so I’m back home now, in Mississippi. Although I have a lot of customers in Mississippi, my main source of income is in NJ so I spend a lot of time there, and the back and forth has gotten to be too much so I decided to sell the business. But tell me more about yourself? Do you have any kids? I’m assuming you’re not married. Tell me more about your childhood; your likes and dislikes. Oh I know, tell me something you’ve never told anyone before.

As for me, my childhood was pretty typical. I have three sisters, all younger, and four brothers, all older. I’m smack dab in the middle. We grew up lower middle class, and that’s probably because there were so many of us, LOL. Although we didn’t have a lot of money, I guess you could say we were comfortable. We never had the newest gadgets or name brand clothes, but we always had food on the table. PB & Js and ramen count as food right? LOL. 

I’m a pretty laid back guy and I don’t have many dislikes. My likes, aside from the sax would have to be watching black and white films (corny I know). I also love animals, I have two dogs, one cat, a few fish, and two hamsters. And I plan to get more animals. Sometimes I think I would just be better off living on a farm. Although, I don’t think I actually want to take care of the land, I just need the space for all the animals and kids I want to have, LOL.

Soo, one thing that I’ve never told anyone…when I was in middle school the popular high school kids dared me to take my dad’s car for a joy ride. It was the end of middle school and I would soon be going into high school and I wanted to be a part of this group so badly; I was so tired of being a loner, so I did it. Now, disclaimer, my dad had already been teaching me how to drive a little here and there, so at the time, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. So, that night, I waited till everyone was asleep and took my dad’s keys and took the car. Little did I know, daytime driving and nighttime driving are two different things. I’m sure you see where this is going….I didn’t get but a few blocks before I drove the car straight into a tree. Thank goodness I was was ok, but the car, was pretty old to begin with so that tree was the last straw for it. I was so shaken up that I just left the car there, ran back home and got into bed. Of course, I didn’t sleep a wink, I just tossed and turned for the rest of the night. That morning, when my dad went outside and noticed his car was missing, he started looking around and finally saw that it was down the block in the tree. He immediately thought my big brother Darrell did it because he had snuck out and taken the car before. My dad was livid and he tore into Darrell so much I thought he was going to kill him. Darrell, kept crying, “It wasn’t me dad, it wasn’t me,” but dad wouldn’t listen, he just kept hitting him. I was too afraid to say anything. From that day my dad and Darrell’s relationship has never been the same. Please don’t think I’m a horrible person, I was a kid and I really didn’t know better. Well, I did know better but I was impressionable and so stupid. I just wanted to make friends with the cool kids, and I was too scared to tell my dad the truth…or anyone for that matter. You’re the only person I’ve told, and honestly I really don’t know why I’m telling you this, I don’t even know you. But anyway that’s my secret. I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours 4ever, J

11/09/97

Did Jake's secret scare Jamie away?

• Totally, he was so wrong for not telling his dad the truth!
• Not a chance! His vulnerability has her hooked!