I owe a lot to a little website called Ebay. 3 months ago my brother, from across the hall, sent me a link to an item on Ebay.. a 1" pin with some vegetarian slogan on it. It was cute and reasonably priced at a buck and change, so after a few clicks, the item was mine. About 2 weeks later, the item arrives at my house accompanied by a short letter saying something to the extent of Hi Michelle, you didn't include your item info with your payment so I am sending you both vegetarian pins that I have. If there are any problems, email me!

A few days later, I decide to email the seller in regards to the items. Hey Eric! Thanks so much for the pins. I love them both. Would you like me to send you the money for the 2nd one? And at the bottom, I added a small P.S. P.S. Are you a vegetarian? I was merely curious, and expected a short yes or no answer.

The next day, I received Eric's reply. It was a fairly long email explaining how he was vegan, had been for 8 years, and the reasons for his decision. At the bottom of his email, he included this.. So, tell me your story.

So, I did. And telling my story turned into him telling me stories, and us asking eachother questions, and ultimately learning about eachother. It felt good to communicate with someone on a higher level than "Hey, do you want a drink?" I signed onto my computer everyday in hopes of seeing an email from Eric. We wrote eachother probably twice a week for a month or so. At this time, one of the emails I received from Eric said "Hey, I'm sure you have AIM. Maybe we can hook up on there sometime. My screen name is [insert screen name here]. I hope to hear from you soon."

With that, we unknowingly took things to the next level. The day after I read this email, I saw his screen name online. We talked for hours that seemed like minutes. We laughed and told secrets and overall, just enjoyed eachothers company. We talked online every nite for about a week before we decided to graduate to the next level.. the phone. I think I've talked to Eric almost every nite since the first time we talked on the phone. It's amazing to me how things progress.. how we meet the people we're MEANT to meet in the most unexpected places.

To make a long story short, I am a person who believes wholeheartedly in this: Everything happens for a reason. There are signs everywhere.. even in places we aren't looking. Because of these signs, I bought a plane ticket, and made the 2000 mile trek to hang with Eric in Chicago. I figured I owed it to him as well as to myself to make REAL all the late nite conversations and anticipated Emails.

We spent 5 days together that seemed to go by in a span of 5 minutes. I believe now, more than ever, that my brother didn't just send me that link b/c the pin was cute.. I didn't just buy it because it was cheap. We find things at the times we are least looking for them, and Eric and I are no exception.

This is the kid I love. I love talking to him in the morning when we're both just waking up, and at nite right before we close our eyes. I love arguing with him over what bands are cool and what bands really aren't. I love talking about politics and war and how I shouldn't drink Starbucks and shop at Wal Mart even tho it is most convenient. I even love sitting in record stores for 3 and 4 hours watching him get overly excited about finding old records.. even if he already has them.

I love planning things with him. Memorial day (probably in Chicago). This summer in the desert. Us getting an apartment (again, probably in Chicago) and pressing pins and screen printing stickers so that we never have to work for other people again.

And for the first time in a while, I'm happy. Things are good at work, and when I come home, I know that there's someone I can call who'll ask me how my day was. And in the end, that's what matters.

Thank you, Ebay.

05 April 03
1201 hours


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and 2 years later... - 11 January 2005
Chance Encounters - 05 April 2003
A month in the life - 07 March 2003
Skool - 28 January 2003
Worst 3 hours - 19 January 2003



"I have no doubt
that it is part of the destiny of the human race
in its gradual improvement
to leave off eating animals.."
-HD Thoreau