So I work as a mailman in Northern California. I work in an extremely affluent area(I’m middle class, I just deliver to the rich) and one of my customers was an older woman in her late 50s-early 60s who grew up in Soviet era Russia. She was a very kind woman and she’d always offer me drinks when it was hot. Anyways, I was speaking to her one day and I decided to ask her a question “what was one of the first big changes that you noticed when the Soviet Union collapsed?” And her response was very interesting. She said “I was finally able to buy my own clothes!” She explained that during the Soviet era, citizens were given clothing they were forced to wear and didn’t have a choice in the matter; once it collapsed, clothing stores started popping up and people could finally wear what they wanted. It makes you appreciate that things might be bad, but they can be much, much worse.
Admitted in my vows, actually, in front of all of our guests. Just kidding! For me, it was love at first sight for my (now) husband. Not so much for him. I was his little sister’s friend, with braces, and constant teen girl giggling. He was the older, much much hotter, couldn’t-care-less older brother down the hall. I obviously had no shot. Later, we met again through mutual friends, now both older, no headgear. I was just as in love, he was still just as cute, and this time I actually had a chance - I wasn’t going to blow it. I invited him to hang at my place after a friends birthday party and…. I had staged the place. I had casually left out a T-shirt of his favorite football team. You know, just tossed on the back of a chair. Oops! How did that get there? I left a CD of his favorite band on my nightstand, because obviously, that’s what any casual fan does. I love them too, duh! I had his favorite drink waiting in the fridge. Suuuuper casual. Was I a complete weirdo for doing this? ...