This photo was taken at the Getty one year after we met
Five years ago today I was in a much different place, both physically and mentally, than I am now.
I was mourning the recent loss of my best friend, my mom had recently battled cancer, my dad had died only two years earlier. All this while my body was still healing from two car accidents - that happened only a year apart.
Business-wise, I was growing. I met every single challenge with determination and a simple goal: "I will show them."
"Them" being every single colleague and business associate I had interacted with. I was on a mission, plain and simple, to prove everyone wrong.
I convinced myself that I could rise from any problem, build a business, and be happy doing it all.
As my friends that had any part of my life during that time are known to say, "I was living the L.A. lifestyle to it's fullest," and with absolutely zero regrets.
Tossing problems to the back burner, I focused on the positive: I wanted it all. I had it all.
But life has a way of smacking you in the face: in between all this stuff called life I received a random email. This email informed me that I had a "match."
As in, a personal love match.
Funny thing is, I didn't have an online profile.
I tried to delete whatever information this site had about me to no avail - whatever I was removing, I was adding instead. I gave up as my matches, "the" match, flashed across the screen.
Looking nothing like the handsome TV ads I had seen for other sites, my match was wearing an oversized sports jersey, with his hands folded across what looked like a beer gut. His baseball hat partially obstructed his eyes as he looked at the camera. No grin, no smile.
I was somewhat amused, and definitely not interested in someone that looked like that. His profile, to be honest, said nothing that I was interested in either: Divorced, without a college degree, and -gasp- living in the valley.
But, he was a "match," and as such, he emailed me.
Remember, I have no photo, no profile, no information other that what I had haphazardly, and accidentally, shared on this site.
But yet he emailed me.
This happened sometime in October of 2008, only days after my best friend had passed.
My "profile" was removed only days after that "match" emailed me for the first time, and only after a frustrated email rant with the dating site.
Two, or maybe three weeks after emailing, my "match" offered his phone number. I never called him, but I did text him once or twice. He eventually picked-up the phone and called me instead because "I wouldn't call him," he mentioned.
I don't recall the day he finally asked if we could meet. But I do recall him asking me what kind of food I liked.
"Spanish tapas," I responded.
"What is that?" he asked.
I think I was more amused than annoyed, and proceeded to tell him about the small plates filled with shrimp, Spanish ham and the best tasting olives anywhere.
"I'll take you there," he proclaimed. To which, if I remember correctly, I only responded with "sure."
What proceeded was actually very sweet. He has asked me to give him three restaurant recommendations. I did: One was an overpriced Beverly Hills Spanish institution, the second was the hottest tapas restaurant in Hollywood (with a very Hollywood vibe), and the third was a classic Spanish dive with great food and a casual atmosphere.
My match called me a few days later excited to share that he had picked the restaurant that had the best reviews: The Spanish Dive.
I was impressed. He did his homework.
We agreed on a date and time, but as the date neared I was ready to cancel.
Actually, I was calling him to cancel the day of our proposed meeting when he called me let me know he was on his way.
I was still in work clothes, tired, and definitely not in a date mood, so I did what I could do in 15 minutes: change my work slack for jeans and add a little bit of lipstick and perfume.
I showed up haphazardly looking for the fat guy in a sports jersey. Who I met with a tall, dark and handsome fella with eyes that could melt any heart.
Against my better judgement, we closed down the restaurant, the owners sweeping around our table as he held my hand. I then did what no other woman should ever do: I got in his car.
We drove to Griffith Observatory, where we shared our first kiss.
Unbeknownst to me until much later, that was the day that handsome "match" fell in love with me. It took me a little longer, but I also fell in love and we later married.
This weekend we will celebrate that spam email and chance meeting.
Life is just funny that way,
