An Unrequited Love Story

Last September, I flew back to the Chicago suburbs to catch up with 

some very dear childhood friends and to also spend some time with

my cousins and my college roommate.  It was several days and

evenings full of fun and lots of talking and reminiscing about old times.

I ran into so many people from my past.  Some I knew instantly,

despite the passing years, and others I did not recognize at first.

One of my friends, a former neighbor of mine, remembered how I

wanted to be a child movie star just like Shirley Temple.  I truly had

forgotten that at the tender age of nine, I wanted to be an actress, lol.

I was mingling and talking and met up with a group who I

remembered from junior high.  One of the men told me that when

we were both twelve, he had the biggest crush on me and that he

always thought I was so pretty.  I felt a bit sad when he told me this 

because I had no idea that he felt that way about me.  I'm not 

even sure that I knew who he was back then.  This is not in any

way a reflection of him.  This is a reflection of who I was

when I was twelve.

At age twelve, I was a very, very, shy and introverted young girl.

My Mom had been very ill for a couple of years, and I spent time

living with relatives and friends of my parents while she was in the

hospital.  The only constant for me was my love of horses.

I rode most days after school, and when I wasn't riding, I was 

mucking out stalls or cleaning tack.  I liked boys, but I could not

imagine how any boy would like me.  I was so tiny and quiet and

did not dream of flirting or trying to act older like the other girls.

Most of the time I wanted to fade into the background and prayed

that no one noticed me, except my beloved horse.  The whole time

I was and would forever be, totally unaware that some boy thought

I was pretty and had a crush on me.  If I had known, I probably

would not have done anything about it because I would have 

blushed and blushed and blushed.  Yet if I had known, it would

certainly put a little smile on my face and made me feel a lot

better about myself.

Young love, and sadly unrequited.  Thanks, Patrick, for

thinking so highly of me once upon a time.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley