The Proposal

 

The story of our proposal is very much like our relationship; simple, yet profound with a hint of humor.  On the 21st of December, I knew that I was going to ask Amanda to marry me.  I knew this for some time; I initially planned for our anniversary to propose, but the ring was not yet secured.  Now, with ring in hand, it was “go time.”  First, I contacted her parents and asked for their blessing.  Then, I let my brothers and parents know my plans early, and enlisted two of our close friends Kedrick and Johnnise to aid in making this moment a memorable one.  Johnnise and I coordinated to ensure that she would be present at Centennial Olympic Park to capture the moment via camera.  Kedrick on the other hand, put together a basket with champagne, wine flutes, and something befitting of his artistic excellence. I picked up Amanda from her grandmother’s house, and we made our way to the park.  It was about 6:48 P.M. when we arrived, and it was COLD!!!!  Normally we probably would have found a warmer location, but I was determined to make this place our place.  I doubt she suspected anything was up, because we always took walks at the Park.  My initial idea was to propose at the Olympic Rings, but as we approached them, we discovered the fountains were shut off.   Sooo, we proceeded to walk to the ice skating rink, as I looked for a ram in the bush.  Surely God must have been laughing, because as we are walking I spot a giant Christmas tree.  With renewed pep in the step, we spent about 5 minutes watching the scores of people skate around, and then we moved towards the tree.  As Amanda starts taking pictures of the tree, I spot Johnnise approaching, and begin to make my move.  The following is our dialogue:

 

 

James:  “Baby, what was your favorite Christmas gift ever?”

Amanda:  “I don’t know, honey…hmmm….Sega Genesis, bicycle..I don’t know baby.  What was your favorite gift?”

James:  Thundercats!!!  No, my favorite gift is you.

Amanda:  “Awww.”

(At this point, Johnnise is right behind us)

 

 

There was a block of lights that were out at the bottom of the tree.  Amanda wondered out loud why the lights would be out.  I remarked that there was probably a bulb that needed to be replaced, and something shiny would restore the power.  I got on one knee, pulled the ring (something shiny) out of my pocket, and proceeded to ask a very stunned Amanda to be my wife.  As the tears poured and the shock subsided, she managed to get out a “yes”, and then cried even more when she realized Johnnise was present as well.  We took a few more pictures, and at this point a group of high schoolers spotted us and started serenading us with Whitney Houston’s “And I Will Always Love You”…off key, not realizing that we just got engaged. But we appreciated the gesture…lol.