August 2, 2014
Dear Collin,
Well, things are over with Donovan. Everything was going along great and then he had to ruin it by asking me to marry him! I couldn’t believe it! It was completely out of the blue. In that moment all of his bad habits and unattractive traits were amplified, and I was disgusted by the thought of having him as a husband. I guess I feel bad about leading him on, but I honestly thought he felt the same as I did. I thought he was fine with a semi-static relationship that wasn’t leading anywhere. Why do people feel the need to take things to the next level? It’s just as well, now I have more time to concentrate on my classes.
Sorry to hear about your mom’s accident, but that’s nice that you were able to visit her. I think your dad made the right decision in doing something he loves even if it doesn’t pay much. My dad chose his profession based on income and he ended up miserable and married to some awful witch with big lips. My mom is alright. She’s been dating a few guys she finds on the internet, which is a little weird. Although, I guess the way we’ve been writing to each other is kind of likefinding people on dating sites. Not that we’re trying to date, but we’ve been keeping this pen pal thing up for so long, maybe we should. Maybe not. Maybe you’re already dating someone else.
How are your brothers and sisters? You haven’t written about them in a long time.
Sincerely,
Glory
September 24, 2014
Dear Glory,
I suppose I should tell you I’m sorry that you broke up with Donovan, but I’m actually glad you did. It seems like you were pretty upset about it, but if you guys weren’t going anywhere and you knew you didn’t want to end up with him, it kind of sounds like it was a waste of time. And people feel the need to take things to the next level because that’s the natural progression of life. People don’t want to be stagnant in their education or their careers, so why would they want to be stagnant in their relationships? Dating forever and not taking the next step is like writing a song and never performing it, or orbiting Mars for months and never landing. At some point you’ve got to take a leap and see if it works out.
For the most part, my siblings are doing well. Brittany is still living in Kansas with her husband, and she has two little girls with a baby boy on the way. We got to see them last Christmas, and I’ve got to admit that I really love being an uncle. Patrick has bounced around between a few jobs, but now he’s doing construction with my dad. Alex is going to law school, which was a surprise to all of us, but he really likes it. Gavin decided that instead of college, he wanted totravel the world, and he’s currently in Argentina. I enjoy seeing his pictures and hearing about his crazy adventures, but I’m worried he’s going to run out of money soon. Erin just started her senior year of high school, and my mom is freaking out about not having any kids at home soon.
I guess I can see how pen pals are like the old fashioned way of meeting people on the internet. I’m not dating anyone, by the way. To be honest, the only girl that’s been on my mind recently is you.
Sincerely,
Collin
November 2, 2014
Dear Collin,
Thanks for driving home your point about the natural progression of relationships. It was a little bit patronizing, but I appreciated the astronomy reference. I guess my real problem is that I don’t like change, and so when I find myself in a comfortable situation, I happily plateau.
I like hearing about your family. By this time I almost feel like they’re my family. It must be nice to have such a big support system and familial network. There’s always someone you can ask for help or tell a funny story to or visit on the holidays. I guess you can have that same dynamic with friends.
I ran into Piper the other day and we ended up talking for a long time. A lot has happened since we lived together our freshman and sophomore year, and I realized that I had missed her a lot. Anyway, we made some tentative plans to move in together after graduation. I don’t even know if I’m going to stay in Phoenix after I graduate, but if I do, now I have a plan. What do you think you’ll do after graduation?
Sincerely,
Glory
P.S. It’s really annoying that your letters can excite and infuriate me at the same time. That being said, I really love getting them.
December 9, 2014
Dear Glory,
I actually know exactly what I’m going to do after graduation. My band entered a contest for one of the radio stations out here, and we won! So they having been playing one of our songs on the radio, and in August they’ll be sponsoring us to go on tour to Canada. I know there are probably more thrilling places to go, but I’ve only been to the midwest and New York so I am extremely excited. And now I’m not really motivated to finish school, but I will, because I don’t want all of this time to be a waste.
Why do I infuriate you? If I said something offensive, I apologize. I’ve had people tell me that I can be insensitive and clueless. I guess things just aren’t as black and white as I think they are.
If you don’t stay in Phoenix, where would you go? Do you have any ideas or prospects for jobs after you graduate? Maybe you should come to New York. There are plenty of jobs out here. And then I could have more opportunities to infuriate and excite you.
Sincerely,
Collin
P.S. You are welcome to be a part of my family anytime.
