This Would Happen To Me. No Doubt.

Passed along from Jillians brother through email. I dont know whether to laugh or cry!

My friends Garrett and Langley got engaged Wednesday night - read the story below. I can't imagine hahaha

Also, so I only have to re-tell the story 57 times, please read the following:

In order to throw Langley off on the timing I needed a diversion. I found one minor (mid-week) and one good one ( Langley's sister Anna Louise was leaving for college Thursday morning). I decided we would arrange a going away dinner for Weeze (Anna-Louise hereby known as Weeze). My plan was simple, go on a walk with Langley at lakeside park right by HPV Mi Cocina and ask her right before meeting up with not only her family for the planned dinner "for Weeze" but my parents would be there as well knowing the plan. This started to work out swimmingly when I received a text Monday from Ruth Meek (Langley's mom) informing me that Langley just asked what we were going to do for Weeze on Wednesday since she was leaving Thursday morning. Ruth told Langley and I promptly received an email form Langley telling me that we were having a dinner for Weeze on Wednesday. Great. Done. Moving on.

Wednesday comes around and I went through peaks and valleys of stout confidence and nervous fits. My one concern was showing up at the restaurant and causing a big scene. Stephen (Langley's dad) somewhat agreed so we tossed around the idea of our families showing up to the park (which was right around the corner from Mi Co) on my signal and we could do our hugs and chaos there. I picked Stephen up Wednesday afternoon and we did a drive-by/walk through to check the logistics. We figured it would be cool for me to propose on the bridge looking out over the lake/creek/pond. Following I would send a text to Stephen who would be in the car around the corner w/ everyone waiting to come to us. I had talked to Langley earlier and since we hadn't seen each other Mon or Tues we wanted to hang out for a bit before Weeze's dinner. That was now teed up.

I decided we'd stop by the park on the way to dinner, hang out, pray, talk, etc. I pick up Langs and send Stephen a text telling him I was leaving her place to go to the park. Anyways we start walking head towards the bridge go across it take a couple steps back on. I'm nervous, checking my watch, and looking around to see if the families were there early or there at all. I grab her, give my spiel, hit a knee, propose, and then it happened. As I'm opening the ring box and pushing it toward here I have a dark spot in memory. Either a) I fumbled it..likely b) she knocked the box....likely or c) a combo of a) and b)...also likely. The ring flew out of the box and landed on the wood slat of the bridge. It didn't sit still. As it was sliding towards the gap in between the slats everything went quiet. I thought I was in a movie. All I could hear was an amplified heart beat and a rush of sheer panic and terror paralyzed me as I watched it slip through the crack. F. F times 253. Seriously, no. This can't happen. No. As it fell 8 feet into the not so crystal clear muddy water I realized I was living a nightmare. I immediately took out my phone, wallet, and keys, kicked off my shoes, jumped over the rail of the bridge, hanging on to the rail before I let go and dropped in to the water, which at that point was about 3.5 feet deep or so and right up against a concrete dam where there's a waterfall just on the other side. I start panicking a reaching in around coming up with handfuls of mud and black leaves. As I'm cursing the high heavens and wondering how this could have ever happened to anyone, I see Langley climb over the rail and jump in too, in her dress. Amongst my swearing, I stopped for 2 seconds to ask if she saw where it landed. "I didn't even see it." was her response. F. At this part I have totally fallen apart as I'm pulling up golf balls, rocks and mud and desperately praying that i could find this but knowing there was no way. There was no way in hell I would grab it. (Here's the sappy part) Langley grabbed me at some point in the chaos while we're both soaked to our shoulders in sewage water, looked at me and said "Garrett, I never got to give you my answer. Its yes. Whether we find the ring or not." That didn't slow my roll at the time but Langley's obviously got a better head on her shoulders than me. I am frantically grabbing around the muddy bottom and Langley is suggesting calling he police or something crazy. Literally about 45 seconds later I grabbed some leaves and a small rock. It was the ring. Langley screamed while I was holding the thing looking at it in shock. No way.

I put it on her hand while shes screaming and hugging me. We finally climbed out. I'm in nothing but wet khakis and Langley is in a soaking wet, formerly beige, now brownish, dress. I ran across the bridge as I saw Stephen and Barney (my dad)'s cars. They went into reverse. Partly b/c I never sent the go ahead message. Also partly b/c I later came to find out. From a distance, they were like no way is that shirtless guy Garrett. The only person who recognized me was my Mom. She told them I don't know why but that's definitely him. I ran back, sent the text and they slowly came up jaws dropped in disbelief, initial disappointment and curiosity as to what in the world could've happened other than a tidal wave rising up out of the lake to take us down until we told them the story, standing there, soaking wet, muddy, and absolutely rattled.

True story.

- Garrett

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18