Marriage

The only people who get hurt on a roller coaster are the ones who jump off. This quote by Dave Ramsey was exactly what I needed to hear (mostly in the context of blogging, a roller coaster I’m constantly trying to decide if it’s time to jump off or one to ride out. Riding out is winning so far). Dave (yep, we’re on a first-name basis) was discussing the stock market crash in 2009. It took four years for the market to recover. He was shouting on news stations, his radio show and to anyone who would listen: ride this out. Don’t sell your stocks. Don’t believe the sky is falling. Hold on. You’re in the middle of the ride. Don’t jump now. It’s comforting to have sound financial advice like this in the midst of an economic crisis, but the quote carries applications beyond dollars and cents. Wherever we are in life, we must realize we’re on a roller coaster. ...

Valentine’s day is fast approaching. That means a whole bunch of guys are going to propose the same day as every other guy on the planet. Please, please don’t do that. Any day but February 14th. Nevertheless, dudes are notoriously not creative when it comes to popping the question. I can’t say I have a lot of experience in proposing since it’s a one-time thing for me, but our experience was pretty spectacular. Here’s my version of our engagement to show I’m qualified to give you insight: it started with a scavenger hunt in Athens, OH and ended 30 hours later on a beach in Fort Myers, FL. If you want the full details from Niki, here’s her perspective. People we didn’t know heard about the story somehow and we would randomly overhear them talking telling their friends about it in coffee shops and college hallways. I didn’t imagine it would be that remarkable, but nonetheless, she said “Yes!” That’s the end goal, right? So, gentleman, feel free to take notes, and ladies, please feel free to pass this along to your man if he needs some tips if the P-Day is drawing near. ...