National Tell a Story Day - Junior Prom, Provo High School,1993 #katys40of40

Today is National Tell a Story Day so here ya go:

Once upon a time, I was a junior in high school attending release-time seminary at the building next to our Provo High School. One spring day - a Friday as I recall -  as I was leaving seminary to go back to my other classes at the high school, Brother Wilcox stopped me and gave me this special assignment:

I accepted the assignment and started to walk out the door when Brother Wilcox stopped me and suggested that I take my scriptures home with me because he felt like I should study the same set of scriptures that I was using in seminary. I had two sets of scriptures at that time so I could keep one in my little cubby in seminary and one at home so I wouldn't have to transport a set each day. This suggestion seemed a bit odd to me but I shrugged it off and grabbed my seminary set of scriptures.

When I got home that afternoon, for some reason I didn't procrastinate preparing for this assignment. Perhaps I wanted to know what the missionary message was in Philemon chapter 2 so I could ponder it that weekend. I opened up my seminary scriptures to find that the page for Philemon chapter 2 felt a little different and strange but I started reading nonetheless. And here is what I read:

Make sure you read all of chapter 2 because verse 8 was the one that touched my heart and had the most impact for my near future. So yes, this was by far the most clever way I have ever been asked out on a date. Actually with all the crazy shenanigans that teenagers pull to ask each other out, this was the most creative I had heard about up to that point in my life and actually to this point in my life too. Although I will say that the dead duck Peter Bauman gave me to ask me to Senior Dinner Dance was also pretty darn clever. He must have known that I'd spend most of the rest of my life working in a museum with many dead ducks and other animals with the same living status. Maybe I'll tell that story next year for National Tell a Story Day. I remember I had a a lot of fun answering Peter Bauman with a video I made with Courtney Clark and Wendy Densley. Spencer Hall - if you find that VHS tape, I'll post that video to prove how much fun we had!

Anyway, yesterday I was eating at the Cannon Center at BYU for lunch with a friend. Did you know it only costs $5 for faculty and staff? So in the booth next to us was my pal, Richard B. Crookston - the very same guy mentioned in Philemon 2:8. I interrupted his lunch and asked for a picture because he qualifies for one of my 40 lists of 40 things - reconnecting with old friends, that I have known for over 20 years. 

I don't think we've changed one bit! Thanks Richard Crookston for an awesome date! I think that was the first and only time I've ever been skeet shooting (is that even what it is called?).

#katys40of40

• 3 of 40 obscure holidays celebrated (National Tell a Story Day)
• Reconnecting with 4 of 40 old friends (20 years)