17th Century Love for a 21st Century Gal

I am a VERY liberated and independent woman. During my teenage years my mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and I had to start helping run the house. MS causes a person to seem "normal" for periods of times and then BAM they become symptomatic. I learned to cook, do the laundry, and even help pay the bills. When I turned 16 I started to work at Target (a retail store close to my house) and often used the money I earned to buy household supplies and clothing for my brother and I. Many times I would work full-time even though I was still in high school so that we would be able to have the extras in life we where used to. Then when college came around I earned some scholarships, worked two to three jobs at a time, continued to help at home when needed, and paid my own way through 6 years of academic disaster. I will never forget a conversation my father and I had in the car one day. Maybe I was complaining about tuition, or who knows, but somehow we got on the topic of me having to pay my own way. Dad told me then that even if he couldn't pay for my education, he was giving me the best lesson of all. Learning to be independent and self sufficient. Now, years later, I remember those words as a embark on a journey most people only dream of. I have sold virtually everything I own, packed up the rest, quit my tenured job, and even given away my beloved dog. ME, the independent woman leaving all the stability in the world behind for the love of a man. Am I independent or CRAZY????

First you have to understand that I have NEVER really been in love before. NO man has swept me off my feet EVER!!! Heck, I was too busy being independent to let them, seriously. If you told me just a year ago today that I would be leaving to "take care of" two grown men, dress in 17th century clothes, and rely on MEN to provide for me... I would tell you that you were NUTS. Only insanely dependent women HAVE to have a man to make them whole, and I am NOT one of them!!!!! So that being my previous attitude, what changed????

Remember how I told you that Bluefish likes to pretend he is in the English Civil War (or did I mention that)? To make a long BORING war story short... (hehehehe sorry Fruit Loop!) The King and the Parliament (like our Senators) got mad at each other and decided to fight it out to see who was "king of the hill". Now, centuries later... grown men like to dress up and pretend to shoot each other like the battle is still going on. AND can you believe it, GIRLS go too!!!! PLUS - they actually enjoy it! hehehehehe OK, I admit it - I am one of those girls who LOVES to participate. :-) These reenactors spend countless hours and lots of cash on bringing the 17th century to life. They literally immerse themselves in the lifestyle and often these tendencies spill over into their "real" life as well. It was these idiosyncrasies that melded Bluefish to my heart.

Personally I wanted to send him a card in the mail so he would know I was thinking of him. I was so excited to drop it in the mail and couldn't wait for him to text me or email me when it arrived. Nope, Bluefish had another idea. He wanted me to know that he received the letter by his replying to the letter in kind. Basically I would have to wait to get one BACK from him to know it was delivered safe and sound. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I wanted to know the SECOND that card arrived! While we waited for the card to cross the Atlantic, Bluefish got all romantic and dreamy about its arrival..... This card will be the first item we have both touched. I will be able to see something you have written by hand just for me. Did you include a lock of your hair? WHAT!!!!!!!!!! STOP THE PRESSES, a lock of my hair! Is he some collector serial murderer who goes around getting locks of hair from women, then when he meets them he kills them??? Does he want my DNA so he can clone me?? You know they cloned Dolly the sheep in England. SICK I tell you, the man is SICK! hehehehehe NOPE he is just MY SOLIDER living in the wrong century and it was sooooo ROMANTIC that he wanted my curl that I immediately got my aunt to help me cut the perfect one and dressed it with ribbons. (Softly sighing and I recall the moment...) I was so pleased to be able to send him a part of me all the way across the pond. I felt like a young girl sending her solider boy a token of her devotion.

Well, the days were passing and Christmas was soon approaching. Ta-Da I had a package in the mail from England! DARN! I can't open the wrapped gifts until CHRISTMAS! grrrrrrr hehehehehehehe So I impatiently waited all the while smelling the card, caressing it, and reading it over and over... My solider boy had actually touched this, wrote this for me, and mmmm that was so wonderful to think about..... FINALLY Christmas arrived and I was able to open my gift. AMAZING... this man is truly a 17 century lad in a 21st century world. Wrapped so nicely in maroon/gold foil paper was a white gold heart locket containing his photo AND strands of his hair. I couldn't stop smiling and since only take it off when I bath. Think... I get to wear his photo next to my heart everyday AND a piece of his DNA! While everyone else I know thinks it is GROSS and WEIRD, I think it is the most romantic, thoughtful, and enduring gift I have ever received. Now Fruit Loop and I are truly "with" each other even though we are thousands of miles apart.

Now can you see why this 21st century independent gal is ready to fly the ocean blue to take care of her 17th century solider boy?