the gauntlet

we are nearing that time of year when i will be completing an annual event which i affectionately refer to as the running of the gauntlet. some of you may be familiar with the term, but for those of you who are not, let me share with you the fruits of my exhaustive research labors (and by exhaustive i mean that i skimmed the wikipedia entry for “running the gauntlet”). running the gauntlet is a form of physical punishment by which a person is compelled to run through a double line of soldiers who attempt to strike them as they pass. it think it originated somewhere in europe and was also used by native americans. anyways, for purposes of this post and my life, the gauntlet is made up of the months february, march, april, and may.

aimee really dislikes my use of term “running the gauntlet” to describe these months (imagine that), and you will soon see why; but, keep in mind that my linking of this form of torture and punishment with these four months is done with as much love and care as is possible.  wihtout further adieu, the reason: many of you might think that my personal gauntlet has something to do with tax season or the last semester of school before summer begins, etc., all good guesses, but all would be wrong. the reason i start to panic sometime around mid-january and then put up with continual bouts of fear that i have missed an important date all the way up until the summer months are upon us is because of these four simple, yet extraordinarly successive events: valentine’s day, anniversary, aimee’s birthday, and mother’s day… february 14, march 6, april 4, and may something (i will figure that one out a day or two before it happens... b-day and anniversary are the only ones i really have to know at the drop of a hat, hallmark will give me plenty of advanced notice for the rest).

so, that is my gauntlet. but it is a good gauntlet. i look forward to my gauntlet. i spend weeks, sometimes minutes, preparing myself mentally, emotionally and physically to run gauntlet each year. it is my everest, my rushmore, my cistine chapel, my tour de france (minus the roids unfortunately), my high counselor speaking in sacrament meeting all rolled into one. mine is a gauntlet filled with love and joy and happiness and celebration and stress and planning and planning and more planning and then coming up with not one, but 4 unique gift ideas. as some of you may know, it is not always easy to buy a gift for a woman for one special event let alone four consecutive events fresh off the heels of Christmas, mind you. but i enjoy making aimee smile, so the pain and stress is well worth it (as long as she smiles).

the phrase “running the gauntlet” shouldn’t conjure up negative connotations or images of brutal corporeal punishment. it’s more like saying you’re intoxicated with love: love = good, intoxication = bad, or even that you’ve fallen in love: ove = good, falling = bad (especially if you are old and break a hip); or that being married to you is like running with the bulls in spain: thrilling and exhilarating but watch out for the b.s. or you’ll end up with a set of horns in your backside. speaking of which…

i put together this little video for those interested in looking at lots of pictures of aimee and me. also, it is meant to provide you all with some physical proof that running the gauntlet year in and year out has made me a better and happier person. besides, once i am through the gauntlet, the rest of the year is a piece of cake. so, if you must…