That Would Be You, Again.

I was driving down a side road and I came upon a little Dairy Queen. A couple was setting out on the picnic table sharing their treats. For a moment it was a girl with me, and the sweetness came flooding back; memories of a most incredible weekend spent at an outlet store, a small town restaurant, an antique mall, and a room with a bed. But mostly with her and her smile and her soft neck and the way it felt to hold her hand. How my heart exploded over and again because I just knew that I had won the biggest lottery ever held.

That would be you, again.

My boys and I were out in a park looking for a hidden container in the underbrush and there was this little bridge that I saw there and for a second it was I and two very special girls and the most amazing women I ever even dreamed of crawling around underneath one like it under a back dirt road in Iowa, and I remembered that big huge tree in the middle of the road, and all of those parks and the old grey combine and rest stops and parking lot light poles and deep in the woods and how much my heart danced and sang when I was with her.

That would be you again.

Someone texted me a while ago, and they said 'hey there.' And for for the briefest of time I thought it was her. And I got so damn excited because I remember vividly how much it filled me up inside to think that she was thinking about me. That this rarest of beautiful girls wanted to say hi to me. Oh wow. Of course it wasn't, and of course it would hurt too much to talk to her anyway. But for those few heartbeats I felt it again. Oh wow.

That would be you, again.

Every time I see a tattoo I think of the shamrock on my arm. It is the only one I have and I wear it proudly because of what it means to me. How I gambled every thing, and I won. I did that! And she was well worth everything she cost. I can't even begin to describe the woman, the dream, the fantasy that she is. And I knew her. And maybe even she loved me. Yes, most definitely I won.

Yes ma'am. That would be you again.