My October was very good. I managed to marry the girl I was supposed to marry all along. I'm just lucky that she was brave enough to point it out to me.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. Much colder than we would have liked, but moving everything inside didn't dampen either of our spirits. We pledged our love to each other, our pastor give a brave sermon, our few invited friends and family toasted us and wished us well; we kissed and ate cake; packed up the left-overs and collected our loot.

In the days that followed we wrote thank-you notes, honeymooned in Hawaii, went back to work, and settled back into the world. As a married couple. Like we were always supposed to be.

craig.

craig {sernickolas@yahoo.com}  2 Jan 2002

Reflecting on the terms "the year" and "a year" I am filled with two disparate sets of feelings.

On the one hand, the year has been good. I'm that much closer to having my MBA, I've made new friends and experienced new things. I grew a year older and once again came to realize how much my family means to me. I started new projects and did new things. The year was good.

On the other hand, it was a year in October. That is, one year since my girlfriend and I started dating. Specifically, it was a year on October 27. This was my favorite part of the year. Over the course of a year, we've grown so close and loved each other so much that it still amazes me. Over the course of a year the word "love" was completely redefined for me. The year was good, but a year was amazing.

john {fray@johneklund.com}  4 Jan 2002

October was one of endings and beginnings. I ended my single life (offically, at least) and started my coupled life.

In October, we were wed, on the 27th.

I was stressed and excited ("You, over there. You, stand here, you, YOU, what are YOU doing? Deliver those flowers NOW!"). He was nervous. Friends were supportive. Family was anxious.

Finally! Finally, after three years of being together, after meeting and falling so deeply in love, after a few fights, more than enough love, and a friendship that continues to amaze me, we pledged to love each other for the rest of our days.

Or, 71 years, whichever comes first. After that, all bets are off. :^)

One {one@absquatulate.com}  8 Jan 2002

October was when I decided to tell my best friend I was gay.

I'm not sure exactly when I fell in love with him (thinking back now, I think it may have been the first time we met: trivia night at 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall), but I did. And it made me face the fact I was gay. I was in love with another man; there wasn't any way to hide from it.

One day after we went surfing we had an exchange that went something like this:

Joe: "too bad you aren't gay, or we could top today off with hot sex."

Me: "That's OK" (thinking: Oh fuck, he's testing me isn't he?)

Joe: "It could be really good?"

Me: "Really, that's OK Joe" (thinking: I'd loose him as a friend if I told him/fuck, I love him so much/I have to tell him how I feel about him)

Joe: "You'll never know till you try"

Me: "Jeez, you really need to get laid don't you" (thinking: I wussed out, fuck me)

This wasn't an isolated case, he's say shit like this all the time. This was the most insistent he'd ever been though. I decided next time I'd say yes.

Normally there would have been a next time, he made jokes about gay sex on a daily basis. But I never got that chance; I never got to seem him in a good mood again. He spent the next few weeks getting more and more down every time I saw him. I could never get him out on the waves. All he wanted to do was just sit around his house.

I knew something was wrong. A friend of his had just moved out here, I figured he might have carried some bad news with him, I was just waiting for Joe to get back to being himself.

Then on the thirtieth we had family game night. Joe was the only member of our family who wasn't there. Pretending things were normal lasted 30 minutes, tops. At some point Mirra and Eric started talking cryptically about Joe. At that point I demanded to know what was going on.

Joe was a Heroin addict, Eric and Jason had found him shooting up the night before. Joe left the next day, Halloween, to go stay with a friend in Idaho and get cleaned up. I wanted to see him before he left, but I got to his home about an hour to late. When I walked in, his roommates were sitting in stunned silence on the couches. I could tell they had just been told.

I still hadn't told anyone I was gay, it was something I had bottled up for almost a month at this point. The rest of that week I was a mess. The next Monday, shaking and in tears, I was finally able to tell a couple of my friends. I've never felt so relieved in my life.

I got a call from Joe today (1/9/02), I hadn't talked to him since thanksgiving. He sounded like himself again. He's still clean. I've already told him I was gay, but he doesn't know what I just wrote above yet. Maybe when I do he'll understand just how much his addiction hurts those around him.

Jamison {jamison@cruzscene.com}  10 Jan 2002

i turned 21 in october, and it just might have been the best birthday ever.

i was surrounded by friends and family for 3 days straight, people who had traveled from atlanta and new hampshire, pennsylvania and new york to celebrate with me.

we painted boston red and while i don't remember all of it, i know that it was wonderful.

shannon  28 Jan 2002

I met him. He's my best friend in the entire world and I have very little doubt that he will be forever.

Online into phone into driving to Philadelphia on Saturday, October 6th for a concert. Face to face.

I still can't believe it happened.

Olivia  16 Feb 2002

My birthday is 12th October. I like that day. and the birthday of 2001 was the best day in my life.

I had dinner with my friend. His name is H.J. he is my old friend. and I like him so much.

We had dinner is nice restaurant and went to riverside. we sat on bench.

we talked many things, smile. laugh...

He said the day we met first time, and sunddenly He said "I Love you. Be my Girlfriend."

oh.. I couldn'n tell anything.

He said again. spoke slowly. " choose one number.

one)OK. I love you,too!

two)Well. I want to think about that more..

three)No. I'm sorry. I don't like you.

...

I said. "number one." and smile. ^^ suddenlly, our friends came out, gave me frowers, congratuated us. wow!!

.. We love each other so much, and sometimes I said that wonderful day. 21th October,2001.

Yumee Lee {manon1012@hanmail.net}  29 Mar 2002

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