On New Years Eve 1999, I was prepared. I had my car filled with gas, a stash of bottled water, peanut butter and crackers in my trunk, and $100 cash in my pocket (which at 19 years old is loaded!). I was prepared for the dreaded “Y2K.” I was certain that as soon as midnight came, something terrible would happen. Lights would flicker, power would be turned off, the streets would be black. People would be running around in hysteria screaming, “Oh no! It’s Y2K!” But, not me. I’d be nestled in my fully-gased up sportscar snacking on peanut butter and crackers because I was smart enough to take the necessary precautions that the media urged people to make.

I guess you can say I’ve always been a worry-wort. But I would not say that is when my hypochondria started. That, my friends, starts a few years later.

Midnight on January 1, 2000 brought nothing but a new year, a break in an unhealthy relationship, and a budding romance. 2000 also brought the start of my 20’s.

In early 2000, my anxiety over “Y2K” got the best of me and I started obsessing about things like being away from home, and not feeling safe. I was suffering from anxiety attacks almost daily. I decided with the help of my parents and my soon-to-be-broken-up-with boyfriend, that I’d move back home and attend our local county college until I felt better. I took a job as a reporter for a small newspaper in town, and started building my new life back at home.

My youngest sister, Auntie Em, was in Kindergarten that year, and my mom was a volunteer at her school. My mom, who was always on the lookout for a good job for me, or a nice guy to date, started telling me about this super-cute gym teacher at my sisters school.

“He’s young, and so great with kids.”
“He dresses well and always looks put together.”
“He speaks so well.”
“He’s single.”

My interest was peaked, and I used my job with the newspaper to meet him. I decided to interview him about this program he was running with the kindergardeners that he named “Scooterville.” He set up the entire gym with cardboard box buildings, used tape to mark lines in the road, and had all sorts of traffic lights and road signs made up. He gave each child a “license” and a scooter, and taught them lessons in road safety while playing around “town” on their scooters. It was adorable.

After that interview, I wheezled my way into his school for a few more interviews, making sure to stop in to say “hi” along the way. I also found myself driving my little sister to school so that I could greet him at the door as she walked in.

One day, I came home and my sister Kel-Bel said, “Mom got you a date with the gym teacher!”

WHAT!?!?

Her response, “Yeah, I told him you thought he was hot.”

First of all, who says that!?!? Second of all, WOO-HOO!

The end of April, we had our first date. And by the end of June we were dating exclusively. That summer I turned 20 years old, and the gym teacher and I had a blast. We went to lots of concerts & fun parties, he took me out to dinner all of the time, and we spent lots of time at his place. You know, talking. There was an almost 10-year age difference between us, but that obviously didn’t matter ’cause I refer to him daily on here as DaddyMac!

Y2K brought calmness to my anxiety (hadn’t a clue it would rear it’s ugly a$ head years later), peace to an unhealthy relationship, and excitement with a new one. I finished up my semester at the county college and applied to be a commuter at another state school. Life was good.

Wondering why I am writing about the year 2000, read THIS.

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