Dear Readers,
In the eight months that I have written this column, I have written it from my bed, mid-air in middle America, in cafés , in the break room at work, in a grassy field in Stanley Park, but never in the company of someone I’ve written about. The title of my column has changed three times, leaving negative and self-deprecating connotations behind. I never thought that I would write the finale to this ‘season’ halfway through an actual date. Irony certainly comes at the most opportune times.
In the eight months that I have written this column, I have written it from my bed, mid-air in middle America, in cafés , in the break room at work, in a grassy field in Stanley Park, but never in the company of someone I’ve written about. The title of my column has changed three times, leaving negative and self-deprecating connotations behind. I never thought that I would write the finale to this ‘season’ halfway through an actual date. Irony certainly comes at the most opportune times.
The column has seen me grow in many ways. It’s seen me through a move to the suburbs, countless heart-wrenching tales, and many memories that have taken me on a physical and emotional journey. I have shared with you, my dear reader, dates I’ve had with people I met through friends, online, on the street, and beyond. In a bizarre and unpredictable twist, two weeks ago I went on the most unconventional ‘set-up’ possible, when meeting up with Devan, a student right here at Capilano, who entered a seemingly silly date contest, that was actually suggested by one of my readers.
As I type this, Devan is washing up a set of dishes from a dinner we prepared and ate together. Since the last time I wrote about him, we’ve had several more dates, ranging from restaurants, to shopping, to house parties. The best parts, though, are times spent just laying around talking about life, discussing what we both think a good relationship is based on. It’s refreshing that I seem to have met someone who thinks along similar lines as me.
When I first began what was known as “Love, Awkwardly” last September, it was coming from a really frustrated and numb mindset. I imagined the column to be a cathartic romp for readers to have a good laugh at, or a social satire counting how many ridiculous and uncanny situations I’d found myself in. I did not imagine that I would garnish so much feedback on the pieces, and get such a positive response. I also had no clue that the column would bring someone into my life that would outshine all of the negative experiences I’ve written about. In just a few short weeks, my heart is in a flurry and I can’t help but be really excited about this great new person in my life who I may never had encountered, had I never started sharing my experiences in this paper.
When I first began what was known as “Love, Awkwardly” last September, it was coming from a really frustrated and numb mindset. I imagined the column to be a cathartic romp for readers to have a good laugh at, or a social satire counting how many ridiculous and uncanny situations I’d found myself in. I did not imagine that I would garnish so much feedback on the pieces, and get such a positive response. I also had no clue that the column would bring someone into my life that would outshine all of the negative experiences I’ve written about. In just a few short weeks, my heart is in a flurry and I can’t help but be really excited about this great new person in my life who I may never had encountered, had I never started sharing my experiences in this paper.
I’m certainly one for living in the moment and savouring what I have. That said, this has all been a whirlwind that has taken me along a very eventful path, and one I feel very fortunate to have experienced. As a relatively modest person, I found it quite invigorating that anyone would want to follow my adventures week to week. Needless to say, I got into a routing of digging up stories from the past year or so, and hashing them out in a tongue-in-cheek manner. The column picked up steam as I began chronicling week-by-week events, bringing the material to a more immediate attention, and gaining a connection with the audience. As a writer, there is nothing more satisfying than that, and as a romantic, it was satisfying to have a staff and readership behind me. It has certainly been a wild ride.
I have enjoyed telling you all the funny, awkward, intimate, and sometimes heart-warming moments of my love life. As sad as I am to let go of this experience, it is nice that I leave you at such a happy point, and to be able to enjoy the details of my romantic quest by myself.
I will honestly miss sitting down to crank out a tortured or funny or lovey-dovey tale each week. But, it seems that I’ve found a good replacement for the time spent writing you… a replacement that my heart has been looking for all along. So, “Love, Awkwardly” and “Love, Dangerously”, this is it. It’s been fun, but I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you that, well, it’s over.
Thanks for reading.
With Love,
JJ Brewis
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