John and I meet in 2007 . I was a Language Arts teacher for a middle school in Atlanta, and he was hired as the new band director. The band program at our school was struggling and he totally turned it around. I was inspired by his musical talent and his passion for teaching. John and I would eventually become friends. He was a consummate gentle man and his smile was infectious. When I would see him around the school, he would always ask me how my day was going, and he frequently had some funny story to tell me to brighten up my day. Though he attended every birthday party I invited him to, it did not hit me that John liked me as more than a friend. One day, a co worker approached me and laid it all on the table. She told me, “He’s got it for you real bad. He’ll even switch schools to date you.” At first I was apprehensive because I am not a fan of workplace romances. However, the few co-workers who knew John’s true feelings for me convinced me to go on a date with him to the movies. He was so chivalrous, charming and genuine I had to go out with him again.
