alrighty friends...

Many say it was bound to happen, and I didn't believe them

BUT they were right, IT HAPPENED.

Monday November 29, 2010 @ 9:15 pm

on 71st and Broadway

I SAW...

 ELDER TAYLOR BRUCE WILKINS

is a missionary

a called representative of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

and he also happens to be the most amazing young man I know.
He has been a part of my life since September 2005
and currently, he is my best friend.

A little background info... 

For the 2 years he is on his mission we (me and all other family and friends) are not suppose to see each other because he should be focusing completely on the gospel and his role as a missionary. This is normally not a problem between other missionaries and their families/friends because they are sent away from home for 2 years where contact would be impossible (for example-other missionaries I know went to Mexico, South Africa, Tokyo, Boston, Texas etc.) Not the case here though. 

I applied to FIT in NYC August 2008.
Later that year Taylor submitted his mission papers.
Taylor received his mission call to the New York, NY north mission in mid Feb.
I received my acceptance letter a couple weeks after.

Taylor was called to speak Spanish so we knew he would never really be in Manhattan-he would remain in the Bronx or other areas further upstate. So there was a very very very very slim chance of running into him. BUT in August he was asked to move down into the Upper East Side of Manhattan and teach in English. Still, I didn't think there would be any run-ins... I hardly think of him as being in NYC, to me he is just simply gone on his mission. 

back to the story..

Here is a visual of the situation

I was coming home from school out of the subway listening to my ipod and was hurrying to make it to the crosswalk in time (purple arrows are the direction I was planning on walking) so I wouldn't have to wait for the next light when I looked up and saw him, 10 steps away from me (literally where we are located in the picture above is when I saw him). He and the other missionaries were walking in the direction of the green arrows... naturally you can see that our paths would have crossed right at the corner in about 3 seconds if I hadn't turned straight around and hauled my butt in the direction of the yellow arrows along side of the subway entrance. While he continued on his green path right into the subway not even knowing I was 10 steps ahead of him. 

You may be asking, if you guys knew each other for so long wouldn't he recognize you? I say no, and it was all because I woke up late-didn't have time to wash my hair to wear it down and because of my j.crew dress code I had to wear a blazer because I had cords on so the only coat that would fit was my big puffer. I firmly believe these things happened for this purpose-of him not being able to recognize me hidden under my huge coat. As i was walking home last night I kept thinking, if it happened tonight instead there is no way I could have hid. My recognizable hair was blowing in the wind and I didn't even have my coat on because it was too warm outside. Oh the small details that make such a big difference. 

Literally though the timing of it all is ridiculous. If my teacher would have put me in a different group I could have been let out 30 minutes earlier or 20 minutes later. AND on an even smaller scale, if I would have gotten off the train 5-10 seconds later we would have ran into eachother at the entrance at a spot where I couldn't have run away. If the train would have been 10-60 seconds earlier we would have met along the crosswalk or on the street without a doubt with no where for me to run away as well. 

Another funny thing that I didn't notice until I turned on my ipod the next morning (I turned it off the second I got away to call my mom hyperventilating and freaking out) was the song that was playing when it all happened. 

What Hurts the Most-Rascal Flatts

chorus lyrics:

"What hurts the most, was being so close, and having so much to say, watching you walk away..."

hahaha 

I always knew I would RUN the other way if I saw him but I never knew how it would really make me feel.. potentially you would think I'd be sad after seeing him after 19 months and having to just turn the other way... but surprisingly I was SO SO SO SO HAPPY. I couldn't sleep Monday night and I have been smiling ear to ear ever since!

And guess what else... he was wearing the coat I made him as his birthday/mission present  before he left! 

 

It was probably one of the strangest moments of my life... WOW. Out of all the seconds in a day, crosswalks in NYC, people in the world we ended up unintentionally 10 steps away from each other... I mean really what are the ODDS???? slim slim slim.