We met through an online dating service.  He made such a big deal about planning our date, but then he called to say he would be late because he was getting a haircut.  When we eventually went on our date I found it odd that he would talk so much about getting a haircut when he was almost completely bald.  I learned that you should never take for granted what you have and never lie about what you don’t have.  I shared one of my dreams with him and he crushed it, but I just smiled because he’s still bald.

In Miami I once managed to lock my car keys inside my car at a gas station with no phonebook.  There was no phone within walking distance, and the police would not help me at all.  They refused to call a locksmith because they felt that it would subject them to liability.  Laurie was a patron at the gas station who volunteered to help me.  She was so nice and made me feel as if everything would be ok at a time when I really felt like crying my eyes out.  She reminded me to always help someone in need.

Vince was my roommate’s boyfriend.  However, we all later learned that he was a very sick individual who probably suffered from mental illness.  He managed to pull off the convincing lie that he had a brain tumor and that he had brain surgery.  Surprisingly, no one suspected for the longest time that he was lying.  It was only his ex-girlfriend who knew he was lying because she called his house, and his family said he was not in the hospital and they had no idea what she was talking about.  The fact that he could be so sick terrified me.

Kate is a great person, but I don’t know if everyone sees how great she is.  What I love about Kate is that she’s unapologetic for being herself.  She has crazy hair that flies in every direction when she walks.  Her hair reminded me of Einstein’s hair.  And there is certainly an element of creative genius to Kate.  She is a writer and a storyteller.  I loved the way she would tell me stories of her online dating adventures with a coy smile.  Besides, it’s always good to know you’re not the most stressed person around.

John is one of the nicest coworkers anyone could ask for.  He is helpful and funny and usually stays pretty calm under fire.  John is about 40 years older than I am and has a sense of reason and maturity that I just don’t have.  However, what I admire most about him is that he is constantly learning as much as he can from others.  In areas where he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for any shortcoming with hard work.  John has helped me realize I would love to have a career where I teach and learn from others.