Making Memories

Chapter 30

Woods and I go down to my room. All of my old clothes are still here. I look through my closet and find something. My Pathfinder uniform. Man, what a blast from the past. I had dropped out of Pathfinders after Senior year of high school. I haven't seen it since. All my patches that I've collected over the years. All the pins that I collected that one time I went to Oshkosh, WI for the international camporee held every five years. I pull it out of my closet. I wonder if it still fits.
"What's that?" Woods asked.
"Um, my Pathfinder class A uniform." I said.
"What's a Pathfinder?" Woods asked.
"It's a scouting group in the Seventh-Day Adventist church. It was really fun. I learned a lot that I wouldn't of learned in school." I said.
"Oh nice. Are you going to try it on?" Woods asked.
"Yup. I loved Pathfinders so much, but my friends who were in it were kind of doing it to be the best, which wasn't the goal at all. We incorporate basic skills with the Bible. Make sense?" I asked.
"Yeah. You go put that on, champ." Woods said.

I go into the bathroom and put on the entire uniform. I remember that my friend hated putting on the uniform, complaining that it was too hot. Well, it's part of being in the club, and we'd only wear it for induction, investiture, and special events. Induction is for introducing new member. Investiture is for moving up from the previous level. The levels being: Friend, Companion, Explorer, Ranger, Voyager, Guide, and Master Guide. Each level depends on your age and grade in school. So, I had quit as a senior, getting 'this' close to becoming a master guide, but I thought pursuing a career is the ideal for me. I had gone through all the levels and had thought it was time to leave the club.

I come out of the bathroom all decked out in uniform.
"So, what's the red scarf and that paracord mean?" Woods asked.
"It means I was a in Teen Leadership Training, TLT for short." I said.
"What's that?" Woods asked.
"It challenges teens in new ways. Your job as a TLT is to lead out the younger members and being their guide. It was fun, but also stessful at times. Thr youngest kid always got on my nerves. He had a weird way of thinking." I said.
"Alright, I won't ask anymore about the members. Do you remember what all those patches are for?" Woods asked.
"Not all." I said.

I took some time to point out the patches I do remember. After doing all that, I went back into the bathroom to change back into my other clothes. I put my uniform back on the hanger and put it back into my closet.
"Sounds like you had an interesting childhood and teenage life." Woods said.
"I was part of a church that was pretty strict. Everything was based on the Bible and the writings of a lady by the name of Ellen G. White. I was always scared of talking about religion because it's hard to. I don't know how people will react when I do talk about it, and I didn't want to offend anyone with my opinion on current issues. So I stopped myself from talking about it." I explained, having to catch my breath from talking so fast.
"Hey, you know I won't judge you for what you believe in. Personally, I don't believe in God, but that shouldn't stop us from loving each other. It never has in the past." Woods said.
"It's because I don't really talk about it, because again I was scared." I said.
"Pssh, don't be scared to talk about what you believe in. It's your opinion and if people don't like it, then oh well. It's what's in your heart that matters most." Woods said.
"Yeah, you're right." I said.

Woods and I move away from the religion talk and start talking about our wedding, what our plan is. We need to make out invitations. I know I already personally invited my German cousins, but they need to know a location so when they get here, they'll know where to go. I go online and start making the invitations.

Woods plans who's going to be his best man, and groomsmen. Personally, I think his best man should be Tanner. I mean, they're best friends, how could he not? That's for Woods to figure out. In the middle of planning, my dad brings my brother in from Salt Lake airport. We're called upstairs by my dad.
"Hey, bro." I said to him.
(For the sake of my brother's privacy, his name will not be included).
"Hey, it's been a while." He said.
"Yeah, how's college?" I asked.
"Good, how's work been?" He asked.
"Great, I actually just switched occupations to be a YouTuber." I said.
"You told me a long time ago that being a YouTuber was your last resort as a job." He said.
"I know, but I had gotten hired there. I took the opportunity and now it's the best thing ever." I said.
"Good for you then. I'm glad you're happy. This your boyfriend?" He asked.
"More actually. He's my fiancé." I said.
"Oh, nice. Sup dude." He said to Woods.
"Hey how's it going?" Woods asked.
"Great, nice to meet you. My sister's always been boy hunting since she was in seventh grade. All of those relationships never worked out and left her heartbroken. She's finally found the one." He said.
I punch his arm,
"Hey, I was really trying. I even tried dating a junior when I was a freshman."
"Woah, so you like older guys? Well, that explains why you chose me. I'm only a year older than you so it's all good." Woods said.
"Haha, yeah. I thought that older guys were the hottest ones back in high school." I said.
"Okay, well moving on. Hey, man. We're having our wedding this summer. Would you like to come?" Woods asked.
"Of course." He said.

I run downstairs and print out the invitation I made out. It won't be made out of regular printer paper, but this was just for my brother. I grab it and trim it. Then, run back upstairs. I hand the invitation to him.
"Oh, it's at the church." He said.
"Yeah, where else would a wedding be?" I asked.
"You right." He said, "Well, see you then."
"You have to go? You just got here." I said.
"I'm meeting up with old friends. Nice seeing you sis. I'm happy for you two." He says. I give him a high five, then he's off.

It was nice seeing my brother again. It's too bad he had to go, but talking to him again in person was great. Woods and I go back downstairs and finish up planning the wedding. I stopped by OfficeMax to print out the wedding invitations on cardstock paper. I printed out about 300 invitations to make sure I covered all my friends at the office and my cousins. I actually have two or three cousins living in Vegas, so I have to invite them. The invitations ended up looking so cute. I put them in evelopes to send off to Berlin so my cousins could get them on time. Then, when we get back to LA, I'll make the drive to Vegas, and personally deliver the invitations to my cousins.