Dancing With Our Stars
Boy, it's good to be back! As a minor update, before I get into this installment, it looks like I will hit the goal of publishing my second book "Once In A Lifetime: A Song For Sam," on the week of March 15th, but if anything else comes up, I will let you know.
As I mentioned a lot last season, I was staying at my parent's house because my roommate Shane and I were having a ton of problems! Because it was getting ridiculous, and we had tried (and failed) to make it work without one, a week before Christmas, I went full Sheldon Cooper and created a roommate agreement! After we both had signed, but before we went our separate ways to spend the holiday with our families, Shane said, "Wait, I have something for you."
He went to his room and returned with a postcard advertising an event called "Dancing With Our Stars Gala," benefiting the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio (dsaco). Shane then told me that he and his fiancé Jessica (who both have down syndrome) would be dancing at the event.
I'm not going to lie; I was a little conflicted. See, what I haven't told you is that Jessica had gotten pulled into Shane and my roommate drama. While Shane and I could make it work, I thought Jessica didn't like me and was under no obligation to have a good relationship with me, so I wanted to avoid her. However, as a disabilities advocate and Shane's roommate, I decided that the right thing to do was to go!
Last Saturday, February 4th, 2023, I woke up, went downstairs, ate and cleaned, and then went back upstairs to shower and get ready for the day. When I reached the top step, I overheard half a phone conversation Shane was having with Jessica in his room. ".... He's my roommate, and all that's behind us… (Brief pause)... Come on! Can't we all just get along… (Brief pause)... He doesn't hate you…." I continued to the bathroom as I didn't want to eavesdrop anymore. After getting ready, I left for the day and texted Shane that I would see him that night at the Gala.
At 6:00 PM, I arrived at the Hilton at Easton mall and entered the hotel. After seeing Shane and a slightly reluctant Jessica, I went to the ballroom and found my seat. Around 7:00, the emcee, a news anchor by the name of Kurt Ludlow, started the event. After talking about dsaco, all the dancers got on the dance floor and performed!
The event ended with a full-on dance party. A few minutes after everyone started dancing, I walked to the dance floor, and Jessica invited me over! For the entire night, I danced with Shane and Jessica (other than when a slow song played). Since we had broken the ice, I decided to talk to her.
"Hey Jessica," I said to her at the end of the night, "I'm really sorry about how crazy things got. If you're willing, I would love to be friends!"
"I'd like that!" she replied.
As you may recall, my goal for season 4 was to move out, and I achieved that going into season 5. The issue was I romanticized moving out so much that I didn't completely understand what that entailed. I wasn't ready for the potential drama that could come from having a roommate, and I was blindsided by it. But we're all adults, and I'm so proud of us for finally burying the hatchet!
Have a Greattastic day and be Safe!
J. Mitchie Ulibarri
Before I go, I want to congratulate my brothers, Luke and Josh, and their bandmates On their new EP, Winter! You can listen to Box Seats wherever you find your music!
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