How Oui met

It seems, as of late, I've had several requests via facebook (now that I'm importing my blogs there) about the details of how Aaron and I met. I'm not sure what people want to know. The exact moment we met? When we decided to date? (He begged and begged and begged -- just kidding ;) Or when we first decided to commit? So, I am going to take the question literally. Here goes:

I was working as an intern in a Day Treatment Program at the agency I'm currently employed with. I was on the computer in the staff office typing out a progress note when my supervisor brought in a guy, a very handsome guy, and said "This is Aaron, he works in the Manchester office. He's here for the day to cover _____ who is out sick. Aaron-> Jessi. Jessi -> Aaron."

I didn't pay any attention to him (other than acknowledging that he was nice on the eyes) because I am NEVER nice to people when I first meet them. I have to feel them out first. I have to be "moved"by or inspired by or interested in them in order to extend my personal olive branch. I don't go out of my way to make friends. I don't know why I do this, I know it's not healthy. What can I say? I'm slow to warm up.

At this point in time, our entire program (the Manchester and Concord offices) had just been trained on "planned ignoring with positive reinforcement." This is a technique which encourages kiddos to do things, not because they want to avoid punishment but, because they want praise. An example would be a kiddo who keeps making an annoying noise. Most people would want to say "Stop that, be quiet!!! Knock it off or X, Y and Z will happen." Right? Well, with planned ignoring you would wait until the kiddo stopped making the noise on his own fruition and say, "Hey, great! Thanks for not making that noise anymore... it was distracting me! Let's go (do something fun)!" Sounds simple- but it works amazingly. Anyway, I digress.

Later, the day I met Aaron, I was again in the staff office getting ready for group. The kids had just arrived at the program, were having their after school snack and were very rowdy. As I was about to go out to the community room to redirect them I hear the new guy yell "Guyyssssss! SSHHHUUUUTTT UPPPPPP!!!" Followed by... total silence. Aaron then walks into the office where I'm standing- my eyes blood red-- steam coming out of my ears--- mouth completely agape---- and planning his professional demise when he gives me this sheepish, "cat-who-ate-the-canary" grin.

"THAT was therapeutic" I scoffed at him.

Years later he told me at that very moment, when I was thinking, "Who hired this idiot?" He was thinking "Who hired that bitch?"

And so a love story was born.