B.

Today, I ran into an old college chum who has long since graduated. He plopped down at my table with an oversized cinnamon bun and a cup of coffee asking smirkingly, "Mind if I sit here?" I think God uses this man as my proverbial wake-up call every time I see him.

He's one of those people. You know those people. They walk into a room and the entire dynamic changes. People gravitate toward them. People want to BE them. He's just an incredible guy. Perhaps it's the 8th grader in me trying to get out and write about this guy, but the spirit has moved me to do so. And he deserves to be captured in writing.

I met Brian as a freshman. He was a... super senior, as they call it. "Head over heels" doesn't begin to describe what I felt for him. It was more of an anvil-in-gut, deneuralize your brain, develop an arbitrary stutter when around him kindof scenario. Your usual celebrity crush, though he was just a guy. For upwards of six months I would cross paths with Brian on campus, fumble over my words in passing, and spend the rest of the day slapping myself for not getting it right.

Somewhere along the way, I must have gotten it right because Brian and I became friends. But, deep down, I knew it was a ridiculous infatuation. Brian was on every level not right for me and I was on every level not right for him. He was rugged and dangerous and older and flippant with sex. I was prudish and young and naive and giggly. Somehow, some way I relieved myself of the crush and like all little girls, I got over it.

And somehow, some way, Brian got himself into some trouble. Some big trouble. Details are unnecessary. All you need to know is that the man is now redeeming himself like no one I've ever known. Talk about turning your life around. I've never met anyone worldier or more charismatic. He's an enigma to me. He's an optimist with a dash of cynic. As humble as the day is long but completely and utterly sure of himself. He sees people with a heightened meticulousness that every actor should acquire. He appreciates the little things. He reads good books. He watches good movies. He understands good art. He's doing something with a life that I would have quickly decided was over and done. If I thought it was attainable, I'd say the new Brian is bordering on perfection.

I told him I couldn't wait to get out of Salisbury. That it was killing me here. He said, "That's because you've caught a glimpse of the light on the horizon. You see it. It looks good. It's telling you to get the Hell out of here."

As far as I see it, there are two types of strong emotions women can harbor toward men. There is the distant, jaw-dropping adoration for a boy that will sustain itself for a lifetime. And there is the this-is-the-one attraction. The latter is my boyfriend whom I love dearly, for whom I'd do anything, and with whom I hope to be for as long as we both shall live, so help me God. ;)

And the former is Brian: effervescent, quotable, charming, and inspirational. Good luck to ya, man.