The Thread that Binds

I didn't listen to Metallica when I started dating Jeremy. I thought all I knew about them was that they were heavy metal. But during one of my very first visits to Jeremy's room, covered in old school Metallica posters, I pointed at the face of Cliff Burton and said 'He died in a bus accident, right?' Y'all, I had no idea I had that information in my head...or how it got there. But suddenly it was there, as if by magic. It was enough to impress Jeremy, who decided to keep me around.

When I bought Jeremy a Metallica t-shirt, I pointed out that they had even painted Kirk's fingernails black. That was their style at the time. Again, Jeremy was impressed that I had noticed and remembered such a small detail.

When Reload was released I called the local CD store that Jeremy shopped at and practically begged the guy to set a copy back for me. It was the second to last CD they had left and they didn't usually hold anything for anyone. I explained to him that it was for my boyfriend who was a huge fan, and if he went in there and both of those CD's were gone he would just be crushed. He did keep the CD back for me, the other CD was sold. And when Jeremy went in to buy it the guy told him that the only copy they had left was reserved for me. This shop was local, and they knew who Jeremy was..that's how much he went in there, and the guy behind the counter told him that I was a very special lady and that he should hold on to me. Which, of course, he did.

White sitting on his bedroom floor, Jeremy strummed on his acoustic guitar and sang 'Nothing Else Matters' to me. I remember listening to him and knowing that I was falling absolutely in love with him.

I've bought Jeremy Metallica ornaments, PJ's, car decals, mugs. We have Metallica calendars, bobble heads, tikis, clocks, license plates, guitar picks, drumsticks, books, movies, box sets, CDs. Oh, and t-shirts...probably every single one.

He's been part of their fan club on and off since 1994 and has a Metallica tattoo.

On Monday night, in the San Antonio AT&T Center, as Ecstasy of Gold started playing, I was thinking about this thread that has weaved its way through the quilt that is our life, and it was nearly enough to make me teary eyed. I can't quite explain how wonderful it was to be there to see Metallica with Jeremy. To share this thing with him, this one thing that I didn't even realize I could love when I started dating him.

And as Metallica rocked our faces off, I would glance across the arena. It gave me goosebumps to see all these people nodding their heads and pumping their fists in-sync. All these people who were feeling the music like I was. People who were hearing a certain song and remembering...just like I was. And I wondered if Metallica meant as much to them as they do to me.

Just another jab of the needle to draw the thread deeper.