Romantic Notions and Idiotic Ideas

     There is a secret I try so desperately hard to keep hidden, but it always slips out eventually. I am a hopeless romantic. I blame it on the many books I read when I was younger. I can't help it, anything I see or read or hear, I file and something always reminds me of something else. It is so bad that when I was younger I was constantly narrating my life. No, I don't think you understand or grasp the severity of this. If I were to walk out the door of my house this is what would be happening in my head, 

"Jacquelyn slowed pushed open the glass door and stepped out into the sunshine. She slowly walked across the porch and down the steps, breathing in the fresh air. She felt the cool grass beneath her bare toes as she stepped down from the porch into the yard......."

     Yes, it was that bad. I used to write and write and write. I carried a notebook everywhere. I know why now. If I didn't I am sure my head would have exploded with everything that was going through it.  The problem with romantic notions is that if you step back and look at them logically, they can be kinda stupid. I can't tell you how many times I have convinced my friends to go on some sort of hike, because it was a "Romantic notion" and ended up getting lost, drug through mud or something. One time I thought it would be cool to turn off the main road and drive through the dirt trail that ran around the back of the nursery in town and to the back yard of my grandparents house. My little Mazda doesn't have 4 wheel drive apparently.

      When I was about 12, we lived in town and our house backed up to the "woods" with a couple creeks in it. In the summer it was green and covered in vines, EVERYWHERE. It seemed magical. I would often sneak off all on my own and trek through the woods. I had my favorite spot, a ways off. Near the edge of one of the creek beds. There was a log that jutted out into the water. It was the perfect place. I could walk out and feel the moss under my feet as the water trickled over them. Later that summer, I thought to myself, "How mysterious and romantic would it be to sneak out here and make this my special swimming hole, just like in little house and the prairie!" You think, "haha ya right." but that is exactly what I did. I would sneak out there, take a towel with me and jump in for a swim. It because ridiculous and gross when I tell you that the creek was really just water rushing from all the culverts in the surrounding neighborhoods that led to the Arkansas River. They say ignorance is bliss. It must be true.
       It gets worse. a while later I was with a cousin's cousin at the Land, in Greonla Kansas. Ya, I know my cousin's cousin, don't you? Anyways, we went for a hike in the woods. We came to the spot by the river where there used to be the main bridge. You can still see the remnants of the rock structure. Right beside it still stands the rail road bridge. I thought, "wouldn't it be romantic to walk across the bridge and into town." So that is what we did. All I can say is it was fun, and if a train had come while we were there we would have died. My uncle wasn't to happy with me when he found out. An idiotic idea? Yes, but a completely romantic notion as well.
   
     You would think I would grow up and get a dose of reality but sometimes my mind floats back to that state of unrealistic romantic notions. Recently I was driving in the golf cart with a friend around campus after dark. The group that was staying there was still out and about, grilling on a huge grill. The smell wafted through the crisp night air and caused us to want to investigate. We drove to the other side of camp and creeply looked on at the festivities, silently wishing we could eat whatever they were cooking. As our golf cart slowly creeped along in the dark, we caught a glimpse of the lake's shiny water underneath the glow of the moon. It looked serene. Suddenly Sarah spoke, "Let's go jump in!" I turned to her, "I'm in JEANS!" I protested. "Take the off." she said jokingly. "There are people around!" I exclaimed in shock at the notion. "I have a sheet." She said with sarcasm. We laughed at the thought of such a ridiculous idea.
     The next day we continually joked that we were going to jump in the lake after dark. When dark came, we found ourselves sitting on the couch watching youtube videos until I was utterly exhausted and decided to retire. As I was entering my room, about to get ready for bed, I hollered through the house, "So, I guess we aren't going to jump in the lake?" I could hear her ears prick up as she replied, "You want to?" I thought for a minute and decided why not? So I yelled back, "Yep, I'm getting on my shorts. Let's do this." I could hear the shock in her voice as she said, "Seriously, I totally did not think you were going to agree to this."
     Minutes later we were giggling with excitement as we rode on the golf cart towards the lake. We arrived and stepped down. Taking each other's hand, and a firm warning of no screaming, we descended the hill towards the beach. The Lake was a dark mass of black water. Slightly creepy. We stepped onto the ling dock and jogged out the the very end. With only a second delay we took the leap and landed with a splash into the dark abyss. We came up and grasped for air began to giggle. What a crazy fantastic night. Quite a Romantic Notion if I do say so myself. You need those every once in a while, whether or not it ends up being an Idiotic Idea.