S#90: Love Letter

I’ve written letters. I’ve written love letters. But I’ve never written a love letter in chalk on the side of my house – until today.

This was Secret # 3, for those attempting to keep count.

A few days ago, I bought chalk.

Today, CJ went out during the day. This was one of the rare occasions he’d arrive home before dark. I had to take my chance.

After procrastinating for many hours, I finally bit the bullet – I had to do SOMETHING awesome today, after all – and went outside. Specifically, I went outside clutching a heat pack with one hand, and scrawling a message of love with the other. I’d hesitated for several reasons:

#1. Love is icky. Everyone knows that.

#2. I’m a writer, and meant to be original. And there’s something about love that makes it the world’s greatest cliché (in every possible sense of “great”).

#3. It’s cold outside.

#4. If there’s anything the internet has taught us, it’s DON’T EVER say what you really feel.

#5. We have just one appropriate wall – the car-port wall. It is ever so close to the neighbours, who spend a lot of time in their front yard. There was a strong chance they’d see my epistle before CJ did.

I dragged up my courage, put it where my dignity used to be, and went to work. Sure enough, it was at precisely that point our neighbours decided to deal with their bins. We literally opened our doors at the same time (our side door faces their front door). Fabulous. Their bins, incidentally, are located less than three metres from the wall of love – easily within reading range. So I jammed my beanie a little tighter on my head, clutched my heat pack a little closer, and wrote the first true words that came into my head.

I was so embarrassed afterwards that I could barely meet CJ’s eye. He was so pleased he’s been hugging me at a 350% increase all day. (Worth it!)

Oh, and CJ – you’re now officially allowed to read Steff’s list at http://steffmetal.com/101-ways-to-cheer-yourself-up/

Play along at home: If you love someone, let them know – in chalk. It can’t possibly be as embarrassing as my experience was, so man up.

Incidentally, has anyone been making comments that aren’t getting through? My spam filter reports that it has fielded more spam than it’s actually run past me. If it’s you that’s been vanishing off the edge of the map, please let me know by emailing fellissimo[at]hotmail[dot]com.