Finally...

The fall semester of my sophomore year at college was winding down. The Boston winter was fast approaching with the days getting shorter and the temperature dropping each evening. As I was putting the finishing touches on my final term papers I was also writing stories for the radio show I produced for WBRS (the pride of Boston's western suburbs and if all the stars aligned, Cambridge and the Back Bay as well). A friend of mine had just sent me the new U2 album, "Achtung Baby." Skeptical based on the first single, "Mysterious Ways," I decided I'd give it a good listen and then review it for my last show of the semester.

Distracting me from all of these important pursuits, both academic and extracurricular, was a good friend of mine who I had grown extremely close to in the 4 months since she entered school as a freshman. For the sake of anonymity, let's call her Dora. You see, Dora and I had become good friends, possibly heading towards best friend status. She was quirky, funny, smart, creative and approached life from a perspective that was fresh and upbeat. I'd never met anybody like her and I desperately wanted to take our friendship "to the next level." For some reason, I sensed that Dora had no intention of making me her boyfriend. I think she liked things just the way they were. I wouldn't dare make a move because I feared the "I don't want to ruin our friendship" line. Handling rejection has never been my strong suit. Better I just wait it out until I find somebody else to obsess over.

Back to U2. I spent the better part of an afternoon in my dorm room absorbing "Achtung Baby" in preparation for my review. Much to my surprise I loved the album. Especially the ballads and above all, "One." It was probably the most awe-inspiring song I had heard in my 19 years. It struck a nerve and as I slaved away in the radio control room editing my segment I thought about making the big move on Dora.

So, did Bono and the boys give me the courage to expose my feelings? Well, in a way. A few days later Dora and I were hanging out together on the terrace of the campus theater (which was shaped like a giant top hat - an architectural feat that would make Fred Astaire proud). We were lying on the concrete balcony bundled in winter coats and hats late one mid-December night, chatting about who knows what (our hopes and fears? ducks? green beans?) when it just happened. Spontaneously we started holding hands and moving closer to each other. I honestly don't even remember if we kissed that night, but we clearly made our feelings known to each other with a warm embrace and nary a word. All the while, "One" by U2 churned in my head.

Dora and I went on to become a fairly serious couple until sometime in the spring of 1993 when we hit the rocks. It was a magical year and a half. We lost touch soon after I graduated. Dora is living in Beantown and is married with 3 kids. I'm living in Texas with an amazing wife and 2 dogs. We were never meant to be together forever, but we were meant to be together at that time. And speaking for myself only, I think we helped each other become the people we are today. So, thank you Dora for enriching my life, and thank you U2 for giving me the courage to make the leap.