Day 8 - Training

I guess this is not completely related to the "training" that has brought Jerry and I to the point when we decided to establish Overton Monroe.  But, I would be remiss if I didn't put down on paper (or web) how I met my husband.  As you might have imagined, he has been the support that every girl dreams of when starting her own fashion line with one of her best guy friends...

Mike and I are from the same hometown, attended the same high school, knew most of the same people, shared friends, I knew his younger sister and he knew my older sister.  I had even been to his house once when I was in high school to decorate his sister's room for Senior Night.  I even met his mom.  But never knew that there was a Mike in the picture.  Somehow, despite all of those paths crossing, we never actually met until I arrived in Chicago in September, 2000.

I first saw Mike when a cousin pointed him out to me from across the room at the New Castle wedding of another cousin in early September.  At that moment, I was not quite down from my 9 month high of traveling the world.  I had absolutely no interest in dating at that time and it was the furthest from my mind to go out with someone also from New Castle.  Again, not to sound harsh, New Castle people are great!  It's just that I figured I had a big future ahead of me and maybe in 10 years or so, I might find a guy and figure it out way down the road. 

Yes, I was snobby about it.  I told my cousin, "Please...I just came back from France.  I'm not interested in anyone from New Castle," as if that were the worst thing in the world.  Oh my God, what a hypocrite!   I'll blame it on being young and stupid.  Sound ok?

Appx 3 weeks after that wedding, I left for Chi-town.  Two weeks after that, the same cousin that just got married invited me to dinner...he invited Graz (Mike) too.  I shook his hand, said "Nice to meet you" and basically carried on the conversation with my cousin and his new wife.  Still, not interested in a relationship or in this guy from NC.

On October 29th, a Saturday, my cousin invited me to party for Halloween weekend, which is big fun in Chicago.  Of course, I went and of course, HE was there.  Finally, I tempered my pretentious self and realized that this guy was special. 

Within about a month, I knew he was going to be my friend and partner for life.  And the rest, as they say, is history.  That's a lot for a girl to handle at 21 years old...