I see a difference between ring shopping
and ring browsing.
Ring shopping is when you're in the market for the ring; you're actually out there trying to find one to buy. Ring browsing is just seeing what's on the market. I want to pick out the ring for my fiancée without her being there. That's the ring shopping. But I need to have a good idea what she wants. That's the ring browsing. That said....
The week before I left for Oslo, Rebekah and I went ring browsing. We went to the mall and walked from jewelry store to jewelry store to see what's actually out there. I don't know a thing about diamonds, but that's what they seem most interested in selling. It's not about the setting or the band, it's about the diamond. Well, we were really more interested in the setting and the band. And no one wanted to tell us about those. They just wanted to show us diamonds. I understand that diamonds are really the focal point and the main cost of a ring, but still, sell us what we're there to buy. If we're more interested in the setting, sell us a setting.
So, Rebekah looked around and she put rings on her finger to try to get an idea what she liked. And I think she did. The sales persons asked me if I liked the diamond and I did my best to remain out of the way and let Rebekah do the deciding. After all, she's going to be wearing the ring, not me. I'm getting a picture of the ring that I'd like to get her, when that time comes. But more ring browsing will be required when I get back in the country.
I don't want people to get the wrong impression here. We're not getting engaged tomorrow. We're not getting engaged next month. We're not getting engaged the month after that. It is something we're talking and thinking about.
It seems so strange to be at this point in my life. I don't know how I got here. I mean, I do, but it still surprises me. Last January, if you had told me I'd be engaged--especially if you told me I'd be engaged to Rebekah--, I would have needed a huge amount of convincing. But here I am. And I'm ecstatic about it. I smile just thinking about it. And I know she's thrilled too. It's a wonderful, unexpected blessing and is helping me to look to the future for setting goals. I like how the future looks.
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Yay. I like ring "browsing"! Besides engagement, if you told me last Janurary we'd even be dating?! I'd have been dumbfounded. Even if you told me so the day before, or a few hours. Even when it's truly a good thing, it's hard to believe when we get what we want.
Even though you're not engaged yet and still in the "browsing" phase, it's still a terribly exciting thing.
It's like the day my girlfriend refered to me on the official company mailinglist as "the love of my life": even though it was no secret anymore, it still suddenly is almost even bigger than it was before.
Even though you haven't made the official purchase yet, congratulations!
I think I remember that e-mail, Remco. :) I had lunch with Marit today, actually.
Things really have moved quickly, eh Rebekah? :)
Huh?
Things moved quickly over the past year....
Congrats Tim. About time you found your first x-wife :-)
i'm in class now, so this'll be short, but i have to say after the convo i had with bets and ang and the starbux guy... use your imagination at least, tim. okay, class just got out... is there a way to edit this later?
E-mail your edit to me and I'll edit it for you. :)
I'm trying to use my imagination, but it isn't working. It must be too cold.
so, i decided i was being wussy with the edit idea... i can just comment again - woohoo! anyway, here's the explanation for the imagination comment (semi-unrelated: i have the urge to break into a rhyming willy wonka song.):
the more i thought about, the less credit i found myself giving guys in general when it came to ring shopping. it's my belief - the starbucks guy agreed - that if a girl finds a ring that she really, really likes, what's the guy gonna do when it comes time to make a purchase? b/c he loves said girl and wants her to be completely happy (which he may not realize she probably will be regardless of the ring), he'll go back to that same store and buy that same ring. no imagination. and the desire to please, i guess. anyway, use your imagination. that's what i meant.
p.s. betsy said last night that that shouldn't be the more important ring anyway, and i like that thought.
Well, hopefully I'll get credit where credit is due. :) Betsy does have a good point, but the engagement ring is the real attention-getter. I don't know many women that go around showing off their wedding bands, but I've seen plenty showing off their engagement rings.
I don't think you have to hope, good girlfriends (and future fiancees) give more credit than is due! Expect great return - possibly even more than a nice "YES!"
:)