Going WAAAAYYY off an a tangent here!! And lets hear from the other folks how you met your partner!!!

[Micheal_R]

Okay a little different today. And everyone is free to tell how they and their wives, gilfriends, husbands....partners met.

In October of 1968, I decided to travel to the Okanagan, in B.C. for a friends 21st birthday. This was in the era when 21 was the age of majority, not 19, and in some cases 18, like it is now. To get there , I had to take the B.C. ferries from Victoria to vancouver and then drive from there to Penticton. Since I was a student at that time,I took a few of my texts with me, figuring that I could study while I was on the 2 hour ferry trip. While walking down the aisle, I saw a young lady sitting in her seat looking at me, then my lap, then me, then my lap. Alas, it was not as many would think. She was looking at my curious selection of texts. One was "The Art of Loving", by Erich Fromm and the other was "Deep seas Fishes of the Pacific Coast of Canada" by Clemens and Wilbey: an unusual selection to be sure.

As she looked up at me, I asked her if she thought that the one book was about making love. A nod. "No,", I explained,"It is about the psychology of love", one of my psych course I was taking. We set to talking and she asked where I was going. I told her and she asked for a ride to Mt. Lehman, a small community that was on the way to where I was going. Not something a girl would do today perhaps, but those were easier, safer times. I agreed, she loaded her stuff in the car and , when the ferry docked, off we went. An hour later, I arrived at the intersection wher she wanted to be dropped off. We exchanged addresses, probably never expecting to see each other again, and she went her way, I went mine. She walked the mile or so to her home and her mother greeted her with " Oh Alice, it is so nice that you are home for a visit. Bob is here and just when are you two going to get married?"

A little explanation is in order. Alice had been engaged to Bob for a few months. It was more of a 'please my brother and mother' acquiesence than love. She had explained this when she broke up with him but the message never did seem to get through to het mother. Anyway, when she was greeted with this statement, she responded with, and this is not a word or a lie " Mom, if I marry anyone, it will be to this neat fellow who just gave me a ride". And I have told her that if I had heard her say that I would still be running. I had no plans to marry; heck I was not even dating at that time.

Exams were coming and studying was wearing me down. So I decided to go and find a few of my friends and go to study together. I drove to one friends after another and not one person was home. It was only the merest chance that I happened to be in the area where this chick who I had given the ride to lived. All of the lights were off, the house was totally dark, when I drove up. I almost did not even get out of the car. However, for whatever reason, I got out , rang the doorbell, and immediately turned around. I certainly did not expect anyone to be home there. As I opened my car door, a light came on. The door opened, and this..... this ..... apparition emerged. Long hair, black tights, unkempt appearance. Just who was this??? She had been excercising and had almost not answered the door. Well, over the next few months, we talked, dated and got married.

When I think of all of the ways that this could NOT have worked out.......Who says that there is not some kind of plan??

Sunny skies, calm seas, fair winds

M

 

[Arkie John]

I actually beat her out of the job. So she wasn't my friend for a while.

After a few months, she came around though!

All to my benefit, fur sure!

aj

 

[Sunny]

was riding with Alice, Mike, and Royal on one of our daily outings. It's just like it happened yesterday, because they are a couple that I am truly envious of. There love for each other is so apparent. Holding hands, pet names for each other, it's just what it is supposed to be. Everything that we were taught a marriage was supposed to be. I don't remember how long they have been married, but I know for many years, and they are still as in love as I feel they were when they decided to marry. They are a very special couple to me, as you already know.

Mikie, some of us are not quite so lucky, and have been married more than once. Heck, I bet some of our stories would almost tend to lead to sounding dysfunctional.

#1 was my high school sweetheart, and 3 years older than me. I was seventeen years old, and a junior in high school. I was NOT pregnant, and the only agreement I had to make with my daddy was that I would finish high school (which I did) and continue my education if I wanted to. This lasted five years, he was a selfish jerk and everthing was "all about" him. The only GOOD thing that came from this marriage was a beautiful baby girl, Christi, who is still beautiful and gets more so with age. She is now 35 years old and the mother of my first grandson, Jordan (15), and my second grandson, Ben
(6).

#2 was to a boy I had met when I was 15 years old. He lived in a town about 40 miles from my home town. He played in a band, and I was attracted to him instantly. We dated for a few months, but the long distance relationsip was not to be. After #1 and I were divorced, I ran into #2 again, and we kind of took up where we left off, and married a year later. We were married for twenty three years, and due to matters out of my control,were divorced. There were many good things that came out of this relationship, but the BEST was two baby girls. My second daughter Staci, who teaches school, and the mother of my fourth grandson, Jackson (3) and my only granddaughter, Ali Grace. (2) My third daughter, Shannon who works as the office manager at my medial billing office. She gave me my third grandson, David, (5).

#3 is with Scott, whom you all have heard me talk about. We have been married for four years. We were business partners for 11 years before. His wife was a good friend of mine, and Scott and #2 were good friends at one time. If you would have told me five or six years ago that we would have wound up being married, I would laugh in your face. When I married him, I inherited 2 sons, Nathan now aged 21 and Les (15), and a daughter,Cristin (17), AND a mother-in law. No age given or she would kill me.

If #3 doesn't work, I be danged if I will have another man. I will live in a house with fifteen cats, a few chickens and pigs, and become eccentric, and "MAXINE'S" clone.

Now, this is your entertainment tonite, put this in your pipe and smoke it...............

 

[WillyP]

Actually Mike, it should be interesting reading everyones story. Carol and I were neighbors about 16 years ago. We were both married at the time and had never met other than a polite "howdy" when seeing each other on the street. It's funny how fate plays out sometimes. We were both involved in troubled marriages and I guess because of that our attentions were turned inmward toward our family rather than meeting anyone new (even on a friendly basis). As time went on Carol and her husband seperated and she moved into her parents suite for a short period. I had sold my house to clear business depts (a whole other story in itself) and moved my family into a nice rental home. Our problems continued until I too seperated from my wife and took a bachelor suite temporarily. Shortly after, and old neighbor of mine invited me to a baseball party and dance to try to cheer me up. Carol had been invited to the same party. Long story short....we met and talked and danced and talked some more. I asked her out to
dinner (man I was nervous...being out of the dating seen for quite a few years) and she graciously accepted. The rest is, as we say, history. Fourteen years together raising our four children (2 each) and what a journey its been. Thanks for asking.
[attachment 10240 Carol-1.jpg]

 

[Sunny]

very pretty wife, Willy. Hope to meet her some day, as well as you!

 

[butch...ar]

not all things, turn out good!

Met mine on the dance floor of my nightclub, I operated in 1977 and have regrettted it ever since

You and your lady are avery,very,very,exception!

 

[Micheal_R]

we do not get what we wish.

Be well Butch. I apologize if i caused you any pain!!

Sunny skies, calm seas, fair winds

M

 

[Micheal_R]

Seriously Willy, she looks , and more importantly, sounds delightful. When I was talking on the phone to her, she came across as an extremely wonderful lady. When you two come on up, I just know that she and Alice will hit it off.

Congrats

Sunny skies

M

 

[Micheal_R]

And only the Good Lord knows why!!

And she LOOKS so normal too

Fair winds

M

 

[Micheal_R]

n/t

 

[WillyP]

I told her about you!

 

[butch...ar]

Mikey , I think bac then my brain had to bin pickled on budweiser--but, I do enjoy seeing happy couples, especially you and yours.

 

[JB(MS)]

I had just began my junior year in highschool when my wife, Linda, and her family moved about 200 yards down the road from our house. I noticed her and her sister, Brenda, who was two years younger than Linda, when passing their house and took note that they both were exceptionally pretty but I had more girlfriends than I needed and never considered either of them as a prospect. A few weeks later I met them and in the course of the conversation I made kind of a smarta$$ remark that Linda took the wrong way and it made her mad. She proceeded to tell me exactly what she thought of me and you can bet none of it was complimentary. I took the verbal beating without responding but also got mad and left with no intention of being involved in any way with her again. We didn't like each other at all.

About a month later a cousin, Fred, became stricken with Linda's sister but was too timid to ask her out, or even talk to her. He asked me to talk to her and see if she would go on a date with him. I stopped and asked her and she said she would go out with him if her mother would let her, that she would ask that night and for me to stop by the next day and she would let me know what her mom said.

I stopped by the next afternoon and she said her mom said ok but only if it was a double date that included Linda. I told Fred and he immediatly began begging me to go with Linda so he could date Brenda. I found out later that Brenda was begging Linda to go with me but both of us flat out refused. Fred begged every day for two months and finally told me Linda had agreed to go with me, by then I was so tired of his nonstop begging I told him I would go, but only one time.

We didn't speak to each other during the date, she sat as far away from me as she could and I did the same. Fred and Brenda were madly in love and although Linda and I had vowed we would only go out that one time we let them talk us into going again, and again. We didn't speak to each other the next two dates, replays of the first date, but on the fourth date we said a few words to each other. A month later we were inseparable and although there were a few bumps in the first few months while we were adjusting to marriage, and to living with each other, we've been that way ever since. We celebrated 43 years of marriage in September.<font color="#ff0000"><center><img src="http://jb-ms.com/images/Other/graduation.jpg" border=1></center></font><center><b>Graduation night 1962</b></center>

 

[Royal]

I imagine they do too

 

[Royal]

sometimes It does become a pain in the butt some times, doesn't it?

 

[Sunny]

Linda were just destined to be together, and all things happen for a reason! And 43 years later? Obviously you both have what it takes to make for a long, happy lifetime! Thanks for sharing a happy story!

 

[Sunny]

n/t

 

[Royal]

n/t

 

[WillyP]

n/t

 

[WillyP]

n/t