Have you ever confidently taken risks and then fell flat on your face? Yeah. That’s basically the story of my life…

 

 

I had read “Lady in Waiting” and “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” in high school, but had been self-proclaimed boy crazy since the first time I had laid eyes on Joseph Lauderdale in Kindergarten. I would chase this poor boy around the playground trying to kiss him at every recess. Boys RAN from me all day every day… and I chased them with glee! I even got married to him under the back tree in first grade once and a fight broke out during the ceremony- but that’s a story for another day!

 

So Yes. My dad was always worried about me as I got closer to adolescence.

 

Rightly so.

 

I was pulled out of public school in 6th grade to be homeschooled because I would leave home with knee-length, jean shorts and roll them up 8 times when I got to school to see my “bad boy” sophomore crush. I had the mouth of a sailor at school and was notorious among the middle school teachers for being a typical Baptist preacher’s kid. So the following story is not a surprise to how I operated around boys… I guess I’ve always been a “go-getter”!

 

Fast forward to freshmen year while in Oklahoma visiting a friend, early 2000…

“Hi. I’ve never met you before…I’m Josh Clark!”

I had seen this boy’s photo on my friend’s night stand for a year. I couldn’t figure out why they weren’t a couple, because she was gorgeous and he was gorgeous, so I thought I would throw myself into the picture and give it a go.

I walked right up to him and stuck my hand out for a friendly handshake and I introduced myself to him…as himself.

I thought I was a lot smoother than that. I thought I had grown more sophisticated in my boy craze- apparently not.

I realized my blunder as the words stumbled out of my mouth and turned beet red. I’m pretty sure I started sweating within a millisecond of saying his name. He grabbed my hand in his as if to say “bless your heart” and it sputtered out before he could say anything, “NO! I’m LAUREN, YOU’RE JOSH!”.

The very fact that this courtship believing, Bible thumping, freshmen in high school’s hands were being held by the hottest guy I’d ever seen was enough to make me faint right there on the spot! I couldn’t stand the tension and embarrassment and I immediately ran back into the house and hid with the three year old twins in shame until he left an hour later.

And that was that. Our first introduction.

 

I had ruined my chance with him. Or so I thought.

Never again could I face Stillwater’s star athlete with that gorgeous face with confidence when I went back to Oklahoma to visit my friend. But what I did have was bragging rights to a new, blunderous, most embarrassing moment, a story I told over and over for years in high school.

 

It’s a wonder that I had the courage to try again when I was 18 and he had just moved to Lubbock. I had worked out a few, not many, of my quirks and had a little more finesse than when I was 15.

My mom and I visited a hip, new coffee shop that was owned by Josh’s sister called Sugar Brown’s that December and my mom leaned over the checkout counter and said, “You know, Lauren just broke up with her boyfriend…”

I was a little excited knowing that Josh was in town… and that his sister had told me he was single himself and would be working that night.

I began putting another plan into action.

I called all of the girls in my bible study group and changed the meeting place from a friend’s house to Sugar Brown’s coffee shop that night. The whole night I was swinging glances at him and not paying attention to our book study.

Once we were almost finished I noticed Josh was leaving his shift. He hesitated as he was nearing the door and then looked at me and waved goodbye.

 

That’s all I needed, friends. GREEN LIGHT!

 

I pushed that chair away immediately, which made a REALLY loud noise, and walked over to him at the door.

 

“Want to see my Great Dane puppy?”

“Uh. Sure. Where is it?”

“In my car”

I used my puppy as bait. Yes I did.

“So we should hang out sometime.”

“With ME?”

“YES! You’re the only person in the parking lot, Josh!”

 

I was much smoother, much bolder, much better at this go getter stuff than when I was 15. What can I say? I knew what I wanted and hadn’t messed up my mental script this time!

I had lined up 3 dates for the following week with random guys (I guess I threw out the book – I Kissed Dating Goodbye!) and pushed Josh to the front of the line.

He went with me to the annual SPPPA Christmas party that next night and what would you know, he showed up wearing the EXACT same thing I did. That tells you more about my fashion sense than anything. Black pants, a blue button down and a black vest over it. We matched shade for shade- except the vest. I looked like I was going to be a waiter at a country club, and probably should have been nominated for the hit TV show, What Not To Wear.

 

BUT He liked me…vest and all.

 

I canceled all of my other dates the next morning and we were with each other every day until we were married 7 months later at the ripe age of 19 and 21.

And what do you know, we have been married for over 13 years now! I bought laurenclarkphotography.com 2 months after we started dating. #whenyouknowyouknow The go-getter in me still hasn’t died and I’ve fought tooth and nail for the things I love and believe in. Marriage being one of those things.

Do you have a most embarrassing moment that really shows your personality quirks? I would LOVE to hear it! Feel free to email me back with yours’!