I was standing in front of a restaurant with a group of friends saying our good-nights and a man who was passing by very quickly said to me- "Hey this is for you" and proceeded to put in my hand a small piece of folded paper. He passed by so fast, I didn't see his face clearly but I thought he might have been wearing glasses. I thought the note most likely had his phone number written on it and that perhaps he was handing out his number to lots of girls that night as a new experimental pick-up tactic, but when I unfolded the paper, there was a long poem-like note on it.
It read:
THE FIRST TIME I SAW YOU: I was heading up the escalator by the gym. You were sitting with a friend, having a drink and chatting. Was that an American accent I detected? The sight of you made my stomach flutter....
THE SECOND TIME I SAW YOU: I was heading down the street and you were crossing the road toward me. We locked eyes. Maybe you've forgotten, but not I because seeing you again made my stomach flutter...
THE THIRD TIME I SAW YOU: You looked stunning as always, just exited a taxi and wearing a yellow dress. Hmm, someone was accompanying you.... B/F?... Well seeing you again made my stomach flutter...
THE NEXT TIME I SEE YOU: I'm giving you this note! I'm sure it will make my stomach flutter...The note was signed off with the guy's name and e-mail.
I was quite taken aback by the content of the note. It was incredibly romantic and borderline stalkerish but it was indeed flattering to know you've made such a strong impression on a stranger. It's funny how someone can just look at you and spin a story around what type of person they imagine you to be. The reality is probably never quite as good as the fantasy.
Interestingly, I've noticed a distinction between 'romantic' and 'stalker'. You classify crazy stunts and displays of undying affection as 'romantic' if you actually like the person back. If you don't like a person, the very same actions could be deemed 'creepy' or 'stalker'.
The whole 'love at first sight' concept makes me think of some medieval fairy-tale story where some chivalrous knight sees a damsel in distress in a tower somewhere, falls madly in love and devotes the rest of his life to fighting for her. I used to think- wow that's highly unlikely, a tad irrational yet insanely romantic. As I gained more experience with men, I realized this whole chivalrous knight/ price charming concept was for the most part a farce- then stuff like this happens.
It's not the dark ages, there are no men riding horses and jousting. It's 2008- a practical, progressive age when most people are single or divorced and have a jaded outlook on romantic love. Who knows, this guy may be a weirdo stalker. To be honest, I wish I had gotten a better look at him. In any case-it's nice to know that romance does exist in this day and age :)
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