Most people have heard the expression ‘emotional rollercoaster’ to indicated dramatic, rapid shifts in one’s feelings. I am here to inform you that my recent experiences would register on more of a “sky-diving off Mt. Everest, rocket-jetting back up, and repeating” scale, with serious turbulence in the middle. Allow me to explain.

Let us start with an evening slightly over a week ago. That night found me in deep conversation with my good friend Elizabeth. We have been friends since the beginning of last Spring semester, and some of you may recall me mentioning a scary girl, smarter and snarkier than myself. Elizabeth would be that girl. Oh, and I should probably mention I have had a ‘crush’ on Liz since the beginning of last Spring semester. I put ‘crush’ in quotes because 1) the word ‘crush’ does not accurately represent the amount of emotional turmoil being near her put me in, and 2) because I was supressing these feelings for all I was worth. As far as I was concerned, I had as much chance with Liz as a Chihuahua has with a Siberian Tiger. Plus, Liz did not need another boy chasing after her. She already had several of those. A friend without ulterior motives was needed, so I told my ulterior motives to shut up and sit down, and went from there.

Back to the evening in question, it came to light in the course of conversation that Liz had somehow developed romantic feelings for me. I discovered that the problem with suppressed emotions is that, while hidden, they are not ever gone. Picture a little shoe box sitting in the middle of a dusty, barren strip of desert. That would be the resting place of my suppressed emotions within my subconscious. Enter the words “I really want you to kiss me” from her mouth. Now picture a nuclear explosion where that shoe box was a moment before. More or less how I was feeling, although on a larger scale.

Alas, it was not to be. After many hours of discussion, we decided that a dating relationship was just not an option at the moment. We both had our reasons, and they made perfect sense at the time. Now imagine me running into the nuclear explosing, grabbing it by the neck, and shoving it back into a slightly charred box. It was not fun, but her friendship, and her happiness, were more important to me than my own feelings and desires. In case anyone missed that class on friendship, that is how friends are supposed to work, regardless of what you may have experienced.

Next we have a large nasty episode involving Liz and an ex-boyfriend turned stalker. The situation was large, complicated, and painful for everyone involved. It got to the point where Liz gave me permission to step in, and so I wrote a very strong letter, telling this dude to stay away from her, and got her and several other friends to sign it. We gave it to him, he ignored it, so I confronted him and ended up calling security to see if they could restrain him. Understand that, as a pissed-off Sicilian, everything in me wanted to turn this guy’s face into a mashed potato, but less recognizable. Going through security and Student Life was not my favorite choice, but it was the best choice for all involved, and so things were slowly resolved in a civil fashion. Behaving civilly for my free-spirited nature (by ‘free-spirit’ I mean ‘the typical Peter jackass’) was strenuous, but we all do what we must, when the situation requires it. Stalker Boy has promised to leave her alone, and she has promised to file a harassment charge if he breaks his word.

Moving now to early Friday morning, the nasty events of the past week have finally come to a close, and Liz and I are once again wrapped up in quiet conversation. I will spare you the details, but somehow I asked Liz the question “will you date me?” to which she was quiet for a moment. Telling her I should ask at a better time, the conversation moved on. Then I heard the words “yes, I will date you” slip from her lips. I would like to say I had some suave response at this point, but after sitting mutely for some time, I managed to say “uhh, let’s back up a bit…preferably the part where you said you’d date me…does that mean yes?” Let no one doubt that I am a man of words. Assuming I have written those words down, edited them a dozen times, and committed it to memory. Otherwise I am pretty much screwed.

So Elizabeth and I are officially a couple, and have entered into the realm of itemhood. This is to what the ‘rocket-boots up to Mt. Everest’ refers. Yet regardless of how I feel or how many trips through heaven and hell circumstances may take me, my prayer remains unchanged. I only ask that God will use me as an instrument in her life, and that through me she will find safety and happiness. As far as I am concerned, when it comes to our relationship, nothing else matters.