“That night when you kissed me,
I left a poem in your mouth,
and you can hear some of the lines everytime you breathe out.”
- Andrea Gibson
"So were you nervous?" I asked John inquisitively.
"No." he said as a matter of fact.
I was a bit suprised. Since most guys I've spoken to has mentioned profused sweating or nausea involved prior to proposing to their girlfiends. I, personally had a huge migraine on the day I proposed. Even the frequent urge to urinate became a problem. Thoughts of "Will this be memorable for her?" "Is the rock big enough?" "Is she going to say YES?" "We're on a fuckng bridge. I hope this damn ring doesn"t fall out." Thinking back, maybe putting too much thought on the proposal was counter productive that my own body started having it's own little nervous breakdown. Of course, in hindsight these insecurities are normal. I mean, being rejected for a date is way different than kneeling down on one knee, holding out a ring, asking the person to spend their whole life with you and then the same person just flat out saying "NO." Those stories do happen from time to time.
We were actually on a car ride to go and grab a bite to eat after the shoot when we started talking about guys proposing and how proposal videos have gone to video production than to the actual proposal itself. Not bashing on proposal videos. I do love to watch the occasional flash mobs. They're sweet. Because it's always about the person being proposed to. But there are videos out there that showcases more on how the person has money to spend on producing a video. Almost as if they are trying to rival a Hollywood blockbuster movie in terms of production. It's nice to watch for it's aesthetics but it can be sometime borderline narcissistic. Sweeping panoramic shots and CGI effects shouldn't ever overshadow the actual poroposal itself. But you see John proposed without all the brouhaha. John simply proposed because he was ready to spend his life with Coco. No drones were flying overhead recording every moment. No photographers hiding behind a wall. His purpose was not to get likes on facebook or to get a proposal video to go viral. In his heart, he was just simply ready. He proposed on the day when Coco would least expect it. On Match Day. The day that most medical students will always remember. Some fear it because of all the uncertainties that Match Day brings. Because no matter how you look at it, where you will end up doing yor residency will always have a huge impact in your current or future relationships. But for John, he saw this as an opportunity to go on that next adventure with the person he will be spending his whole life with. Was it a simple way to propose? Yes. But with that being said, Coco did say something that stuck with me. "That's how John is. And I wouldn't have it any other way." Simple. Thoughtful. Real and heartfelt. Those should be the root of any proposals anyway.
Maybe there is truth to the old adage of: "Simplicity is the ulitmate form of sophistication."
