Becoming a Dreamer: A growing collection...

I recently met a woman. Her name is Lauren. She had reddish hair, and was about my height. This is the entirety of the information that I know and have about her. So the story goes:

As I waited on the Diversey metro platform on a somewhat frigid Saturday morning the surrounding atmosphere was completely oblivious to me. Like usual I was wearing my ear buds, the sound eliminating headphones that kept outside noises out. I thought of them as my shields, my deflectors of the world, and was unaware of little around me when I was under their protection.

At eight in the morning the El. often seemed all but the same as it always did. Though people changed and the weather varied time to time, experience to experience, it was almost always somewhat more of the same. Same city sounds, same city smells, same people - some attractive, some not; some unique, some bland, some neither nor. Like any other daily routine the wait for the train was simply a part of my day, just not a notable one.

When the brown line train finally arrived it aligned itself to the platform in such a way that I found myself facing the gap in between two of the cars. In the most brief of moments I was forced to decide whether I wanted to board the car on the left or the car on the right. My choice was made by her.

I would find out her name was Lauren, but only after telling myself I would not settle for letting beauty simply pass me by. When the train pulled up to Diversey and I was faced with the choice of cars I happened to take a quick glance to each side. The left car option appeared as I expected it to - a small assortment of non distinguishable people slowly filing on. But the right car offered something different: a tall, beautiful woman waiting to board. I quickly decided that though I would only be on the train for one stop I might as well spend that time with a pretty woman in my company. I decided that breakfast would be a healthy diet of eye candy.

The train pulled out from the station, and as we rode in silence - or at least in the lack of conversation from people on the train - I couldn't help but examine the girl that had persuaded my choice of cars. More and more I found myself captivated by her beauty, and by the time we pulled into the Fullerton station I couldn't help but feel the need to express my thoughts. The train slowed, I gathered my nerve, and as the doors began to open so did my mouth.

"You are absolutely beautiful, what's your name?" I asked, though somewhat amazed the words were mine.

She smiled, her eyes seeming to glow in only that kind of special way, and engaged me. "I'm Lauren," she admitted.

"Lauren," I stammered out, even further engulfed by her brilliant eyes and increasingly more aware of her beauty as only heightened by her smile, "I'm Kyle. I hope you have a really great day." (though I don't remember verbatim I think this is how it all went, or maybe I hope it was this eloquent)

Quickly I made my way off the train, having timed my admittance to Lauren with the opening and closing of the doors. I was out of harms way, and would most likely never see Lauren again. But I seemed to be unable to find such an escape from my thoughts. I found myself thinking about her smile, and regretting that I might not ever see her again...

So I came up with a plan.

Things running through my head right now: my bookshelves are getting quite respectable. I can't wait for the day that my library is in need of those sliding ladders... My face feels great, and it makes me happy that I don't wear my glasses AT ALL times... I hope my plan works....

Update... This is how my home library currently looks!