jared hogan

nov 20, 2008. the break down.

it was six o’clock. maria and i were walking downtown, dressed nice for our ‘last-day-of-school-celebratory-date’. keep in mind that maria had not slept for the past three nites, and for the past week maybe threw 6 hours of rest together. so i was dragging her.

meanwhile, the thomas family and the hogan family + allie, emily and ashley were lurking downtown as well.

maria and i finally got to broughton. she was still not sure what was going on. i had left the date ambiguous, telling her it was a ‘surprise’ but that we were going to dinner or something, whatever. so we cross broughton on abercorn street and approach the lucas theater.

so we approach the front doors.

meanwhile, the thomas and hogan families are in a cab, lurking around the area. waiting for the right moment.

the doors are locked. the doors to the theater are very locked. maria is very confused why i am so intent on getting into the lucas when we are trying to go to dinner. but i keep knocking. finally bridgett, the woman who had help me set up two hours earlier gets an inkling that maybe that is me knocking on the door. so she races up and lets us in. maria is very confused and half awake.

meanwhile, my parents figure out that their camera is not working. great timing. so they rush to cvs to get batteries. still nothing. so they buy a fleet of disposable cameras, and they’re ready to go. so they go to leave, and wouldn’t ya guess. a flat tire.

so we make our way down the rows of seats until row j seat 19, 20. no signifigance, but i just remember. so we sit. in the orchestra pit is a small video projector. on the stage is a 4x4 projector screen my good friend sam was able to round up for the night. laying in the pit was my bestest friend scott and his wife. when scott figured we were sitting. he pressed play and the video began. over the past few months i had filmed her parents and my parents and a couple other people telling her how much they loved her and how happy they were for us and how excited they were to see what god was going to do in and through us. anyway, i don’t really know what maria was thinking the whole time, still. i couldn’t see her face because it was pressing up against my arm so hard. but it was silent and dark and the only thing breaking that silence and piercing the darkness were words and images of affirmation. it was really beautiful. so, they movie ended, i looked to the right of seat j 19 and pulled out the ring i had planted there hours earlier and got down on one knee. and you know the rest. [SHE SAID YESSSS!!!!]

so we got up, all teary eyed and made our way outside. the doors opened and there stood her family. and my family. and allie, emily and ashley. it was just too much goodness.

it was a long day. but well worth it.

so then we drank belini. and took way too many photos. and made our way to dinner at the bull street chophouse a few blocks west of the lucas. so we ate and were merry and lived happily ever after.

well, after that we went back inside and reenacted the whole thing for everyone who missed it.

and then we were engaged.