Stalker Mentality - Pamela Mytroen

My stalker was persistent. Focused. Obstinate even. “Dave” met me at College one evening where I was organizing an event. He decided that night, unbeknown to me, that I should be his wife.

“He had to return to Europe,” explained his friend to me at supper the next week, “but when he gets back he wants to see you.”

I stopped chewing. “Why?” I had a hard time pinning a face to his body. All I remembered was that he was short, blonde, and every time I looked up that evening he had been staring at me. “Didn’t I go a good job?”

His friend suppressed a smile. “He thinks you were fantastic.”

Weird, I thought. All I did was set up chairs. I was glad he never mentioned it again and I forgot all about it.

A couple months later I received a phone call from my home town. “He's been watching you and thinks you would make a good wife. He says he's going to marry you,” said my friends with whom he had visited.

I laughed all the way back down the hall to my friend’s room. She still reminds me of that time. “You squeaked, you laughed so hard,” she often says. Well, it was funny. After all, this guy I never spoke with had suddenly received an order from God to marry me. I didn’t even know him! My, he was brave.

But once again I forgot about Dave.

Next time he showed up, I had graduated and was working at home.

There was a knock on the door. My Dad answered it.

A short blonde guy stepped in. “I’ve been all over Europe and the States and I finally tracked down your daughter,” he told my Dad.

My Father raised his eyebrows. “You’ve been looking for Pam?”

“Yes, and I’m going to marry her.”

My Dad looked at him sideways.

“I need a good wife to travel with. I want her to be my partner smuggling bibles throughout Eastern Europe.”

“That’s too bad,” said my Dad, straight faced.

“Why?” Now it was Dave’s turn to be confused.

“She’s engaged,” said my Dad. “To a really tall guy.”

Poor Dave. For two years he followed me in the shadows. After I graduated from College he never lost sight of his goal. Apparently at every port he looked for me, hoping by some chance that I would realize my good fortune and come chasing after him. He continued to make wedding plans through all his international travels. At last he made the arduous trip to Saskatchewan to announce his nuptials to my Father.

I do give him credit for being so persistent and focused.

God reminded me of this event recently because he’s teaching me about being single-minded. He’s showing me the necessity of having a goal and sticking to it. If I can’t focus on a priority then I’m all over the place. This causes me to be frustrated because I never see any progress. As God helps me become more ‘narrow-minded’ I am finding I have more peace and more motivation to do well.

I don’t know what became of Dave. With a determined spirit like he has though, I’m sure he’s married. I just hope he consulted the girl first.

Pam Mytroen