I took a walk tonight. It was the same route I took more than 6 years ago to meet Glenn.

It was around the beginning of October 2000. I had been chatting online with a guy, a guy who certainly seemed obnoxious and possessed a loud personality. We had been typing back and forth for a few days (if I remember correctly), and this time he asked me to meet him in person. I said no. He kept asking, and I kept saying no, until finally I said yes, mostly to get him off my back. I don't think I was necessarily planning to go meet him; I was just relieved that I got him to quit bugging me. We agreed to meet outside the gate of the gated community where I lived with my parents. No way was I going to let some guy who might turn out to be a creep-o come to my door and know where I live. I would meet him at the gate where there was a security guard on duty, so that if anything happened someone else would be there.

The time came, and at 10 o' clock at night I stepped outside and began to walk towards the front gate. At least twice, I stopped and turned towards the street on my right, fully intending to turn around and go home. I figured that I didn't need this pushy, obnoxious-sounding jerk who would be waiting outside the gate. But, for some reason, I didn't turn around but rather kept walking toward the gate. As I approached, I saw a red Toyota Tacoma, with Glenn leaning against the side, waiting for me. He was cute, but every bit obnoxious as he sounded in chat. We took a little walk along the sidewalk, which frames the golf course on which my parents live, and talked. Before we parted that night, standing back at his truck, he asked for a goodnight kiss. I said no. After all, I had only known him for about a half an hour. He kept asking, and I kept saying no, but I did agree to a date. Two nights later, we went out to the beach here at La Jolla, where he asked me to be his girlfriend. Can you guess what I said? That's right, I said no. But this time, he got his kiss.

Of course, eventually I said yes to being his girlfriend. And eventually, he stopped being so obnoxious and revealed the nice and sweet guy that he is.

So tonight, I walked down that same sidewalk I walked down that California autumn night. I thought about when I almost turned around. As I approached the gate tonight, I remembered what it was like seeing Glenn waiting by his red truck. I remember walking and talking with him.

I am glad that I went that night. I am glad that I decided to not turn around but to keep going. If I had turned around and gone back home, it would have been the biggest mistake of my life. There are no words that I can think of that can say how very happy I am that I took the path that I did.