The missing day

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008 is the 14 year anniversary of the day I first saw Michael Stipe in person. How do I remember that that happened on Tuesday, November 5th, 1994? Because I wrote about it way back when.

I had this whole series of articles and short stories about Michael Stipe, about how our love was destined, about how he had joined REM back when I was born in order to vent his frustration over the fact that his soulmate was an infant, about how his lyrics were secret messages to the world over this cruel twist of fate that would have him waiting until he was nearly forty for his soulmate to be legal, about how he "pretended" to be "gay" as a cover-up for this torment, about how I searched for him my true love and soulmate everywhere I went, including Westpoint (which had a good chance of housing him because there were so many bald men there) and the organics section in Kroger (because he's a vegan) and the men's room (because he's a... he) and my own back yard just to be sure because it's always the last place you look.

And then, it happened. I found him in the Memphis pyramid, on stage, "pretending" to sing "to" thousands of people, but really it was all just to me. That was on Tuesday, November 5th, 1994. Also, I remember it was on Tuesday, November 5th because I asked for permission to go in March. I made sure to say "Tuesday, November 5th", and it totally worked. Mom heard the "November" part, but not so much the "school night" part, and permission was granted.

Ha! That was the night that Paul (my boyfriend at the time) had his car stolen -- and then returned. It was such a piece of junk that not even thieves wanted it for free.

And you know, the fourteenth anniversary is the ivory anniversary. I don't really know what that means, but it seems important. So why am I going to miss this day? Because I'm skipping it. I'm jumping over the international date line, leaving Honolulu on the 4th, and arriving in Bangkok on the 6th.

I'm crushed. Not only will this be the fourteenth time Michael Stipe and I won't be celebrating our anniversary together, but I'm not even going to exist within timespace in order to celebrate it at all!

I mean, sure, I'll get to have two November 12ths, but pfft! Who cares about November 12th? Stupid November 12th. Always going on like "Hey! I come right after November 11th!" Useless friggin' day.