Forget Mike Jones! Who IS John de Leon?

Tomorrow is my Lion King’s 28th birthday!

We met when we were 15-years-old so I’ll let you do the math on how many birthdays we’ve spent together. No one – and I mean no one – knows him as well as I do. We’re polar opposites, but there are so many logical and illogical reasons behind why we’ve been together for as long as we have been. So, for his birthday, I decided to put him at the mercy of my blog. Every year I try and do something a different to celebrate the love of my life. So -- you guessed it -- this blog post is dedicated to my illusive Scorpio.

“Back then they didn’t want me, now I’m hot and they all on me.”

Those lyrics remind me a lot of my hubby-to-be. Not that he has girls droppin' their panties for him celebrity-style (cause I’d kick his ass), but back when we were younger a lot of people didn’t think he was going to amount to shit. Now, he’s a dedicated family man and didn’t end up being a “jail bird loser” like everyone probably thought he would be.

John was what I lovingly call a “troubled youth.” He wasn’t violent or disrespectful, but he was every Filipino parent’s nightmare – young, reckless, and just didn’t give a damn what people thought about him. The guy was a black sheep! He had been in and out of handcuffs, and even landed himself a lovely vacation at juvenile hall for all of his shenanigans. My Dad unhappily declared “He looks like a gangster” the first time he laid eyes on John.

Oh, but my friends, that is what intrigued me about him!

John totally wasn’t my type when I got to know him more. John was a bad boy – fresh from Oakland/Alameda – and I thought he was as total asshole. He had a nasty habit of looking like he was angry all the time. He smoked, he had slicked back curly hair (I liked bald or close cut guys), and he always, always, ALWAYS used to wear khakis and his collection of red jackets from Structure. (Remember that men’s store!? Yes, I’m bringing it way back ya’ll!) And in case you’re wondering – NO, he DID NOT “claim” red -- he just liked the color.

I on the other hand, was utterly virginal and innocent. I thought smokers were disgusting, and I was Miss “I’m-Waiting-Until-I’m-Married.” Back then I actually used to give a damn how I looked -- I wore make-up and I didn’t just finger-brush my hair like I do on most days. I thought he was cute because he was dark and mysterious, but he wasn’t really someone that I would consider dating, ya know? Cause I was a goody-goody.

Then, one drunken teenage night – and it was my first time drinking too -- he kissed me. He says I kissed him, but uh-uh, he kissed me. The rest is history.

John’s influence rubbed off on me quickly. Haha, amongst other things. ;-) He quickly changed my "I'm waiting until I'm married" policy about 1 ½ months after we started dating. And, I even started smoking so he would think I was "cool." (Sad, isn't it?) A lot of people didn't "get us." He was a mean boy and broke my heart on multiple occasions, but I still ferociously tried to work it out with him because he was my "de-flowerer."

On the flip side, when he wasn't being a jerk because suddenly he decided that he was "too hard" for a girlfriend, John was very sweet. He'll probably kill me for saying this but he used to sing to me. Okay, he used to sing the "love verse" from Master P's "I Got the Hook Up", but still...it was sweet. Eventually he did a little Drop-N-Harm too. Lol! Annnnd he even wrote an essay about me in summer school.

John was emo back then, people just didn't know it. He drew my portrait once. And, I still have it in our scrapbook. ;)

These were the lovely things that helped me deal with his "hardness" even though he would rarely hold my hand in public back in the day. He looks back on our tumultuous high school relationship and laughs about it now. He feels bad for being so young, dumb, and stupid. And now here we are -- 13 birthdays later -- and a lot has changed about our relationship. He still likes to have his hard outer shell, but to me, it's candy coated. And he's melted in my mouth over the years. (Seriously guys, no sexual pun intended.)

I've worn him down and he has allowed himself to be completely vulnerable to me. I've reached the chocolate center ya'll, and it's delicious! Our relationship isn't perfect, but I know that come hell and high water he's got my back. And for his birthday I just wanted to let him know just how special he is to me.

Happy Birthday, Honey! I love you. And your butu too. ;-)