We’ve debated and disputed everything from favorite films and actors to politics in this forum, so how about something sweet and romantic and uncontroversial for a change? Like how did you meet your significant other(s).
I’ve been in and out of love, infatuations, marriages, and affairs so often that virtually every week is an anniversary of some sorts. So I’ll start with my first wife. I was sitting in a high school history class during my sophomore year—back in a rear corner where the class rowdies congregated. There was 4-5 of us guys grouped around a gal, an older wild child—a junior—who put the "body" in student body at our smalltown school. She was wearing one of those poodle skirts that were fashionable back in the late 1950s, the kind with a stiff-net petticoat that made the skirt stand out. She had her legs crossed, causing the skirt to pull up showing a few inches of the petticoat underneath, and we guys were taking turns writing our names and other things on her petticoat, seeing how far we could get under her skirt before she stopped us. Teacher was calling roll when everything sorta went quite—which usually meant I was in trouble. I looked around toward the front of the room and saw a new girl standing right in front of his desk with her back to me. It was winter and she was wearing a school jacket (from an Oklahoma school as it turned out). The coat was bulky and hung below her hips so I couldn’t make out anything about her shape. All I could see was the back of her head; she had brown hair, pinned up in a short style. But there was just something about her! So I kept looking at her as she checked into the new class, then she turned around and I could see my instincts were right—she was a cutie! She looked my way, and I smiled. She looked around for an empty desk, then walked past a couple in the front rows and took one beside me! I made a joke and she laughed, showing she had a sense of humor as well as good looks. Ends up we dated through high school, even after she moved to another town 90 miles away during my senior year. Used to drive over to see her on the weekends.
She was my first big love, and the only one I didn’t cheat on—not for many years, anyway. I was very idealistic back then, really into loyalty, and passed up some hot opportunities to stick with Carol. After I graduated I enlisted in the Army with the idea that we would get married when I came home on leave after basic training. Came back in mid-December after training 8 weeks in the ice and snow of Colorado, and she was dating her best friend’s brother! I’d put on some muscle in basic: caught her and her girlfriend out on a double date one night, yanked her out of his car and threatened to pound the crap out of both the guys if they’d just step out. But by the time my leave was over, I was dating someone else too.
Problem is, I’ve always had a hard time turning loose. Year later I was at Ft. Riley, Kansas, feeling homesick and she was tired of living at home and taking care of three siblings, so we get to writing again, and I take another leave and we get married. Thought at the time it was a bad idea; she’d already proved to be a disappointment. Year later we’ve got a daughter and I’m being transferred to Germany. Problem with Carol was that she was a late bloomer who started attracting other guys about the time I went into the Army. And it went to her head. We dated longer than we were married, but we got a hell of a great daughter out of the deal. Our daughter Michele was a month old the day we celebrated our first anniversary, and I left for Germany 2 days later. Carol and Michele joined me over there for a few months, but our relationship was pretty well shot by then. We tried again after I came home from the Army but we were just going through the motions. We finally got divorced--turns out we dated longer than we were married. But she’d turn up every once in awhile when things didn’t work out for her. She could always tap into me through Michele, until I finally told her to get lost. She ended up marrying some cowboy in a jerk-water border town and had a passel of kids, none of them as pretty or bright as our daughter.
Funny thing—Carol who was voted most athletic girl in school as a senior died some years ago of a bad heart. I was the only person I’ve ever known who flunked PE for talking back to the coach and refusing to suit out, and I’m still trucking. Like they say, living well is the best revenge. And sometimes just living is more than enough.
I’ve been in and out of love, infatuations, marriages, and affairs so often that virtually every week is an anniversary of some sorts. So I’ll start with my first wife. I was sitting in a high school history class during my sophomore year—back in a rear corner where the class rowdies congregated. There was 4-5 of us guys grouped around a gal, an older wild child—a junior—who put the "body" in student body at our smalltown school. She was wearing one of those poodle skirts that were fashionable back in the late 1950s, the kind with a stiff-net petticoat that made the skirt stand out. She had her legs crossed, causing the skirt to pull up showing a few inches of the petticoat underneath, and we guys were taking turns writing our names and other things on her petticoat, seeing how far we could get under her skirt before she stopped us. Teacher was calling roll when everything sorta went quite—which usually meant I was in trouble. I looked around toward the front of the room and saw a new girl standing right in front of his desk with her back to me. It was winter and she was wearing a school jacket (from an Oklahoma school as it turned out). The coat was bulky and hung below her hips so I couldn’t make out anything about her shape. All I could see was the back of her head; she had brown hair, pinned up in a short style. But there was just something about her! So I kept looking at her as she checked into the new class, then she turned around and I could see my instincts were right—she was a cutie! She looked my way, and I smiled. She looked around for an empty desk, then walked past a couple in the front rows and took one beside me! I made a joke and she laughed, showing she had a sense of humor as well as good looks. Ends up we dated through high school, even after she moved to another town 90 miles away during my senior year. Used to drive over to see her on the weekends.
She was my first big love, and the only one I didn’t cheat on—not for many years, anyway. I was very idealistic back then, really into loyalty, and passed up some hot opportunities to stick with Carol. After I graduated I enlisted in the Army with the idea that we would get married when I came home on leave after basic training. Came back in mid-December after training 8 weeks in the ice and snow of Colorado, and she was dating her best friend’s brother! I’d put on some muscle in basic: caught her and her girlfriend out on a double date one night, yanked her out of his car and threatened to pound the crap out of both the guys if they’d just step out. But by the time my leave was over, I was dating someone else too.
Problem is, I’ve always had a hard time turning loose. Year later I was at Ft. Riley, Kansas, feeling homesick and she was tired of living at home and taking care of three siblings, so we get to writing again, and I take another leave and we get married. Thought at the time it was a bad idea; she’d already proved to be a disappointment. Year later we’ve got a daughter and I’m being transferred to Germany. Problem with Carol was that she was a late bloomer who started attracting other guys about the time I went into the Army. And it went to her head. We dated longer than we were married, but we got a hell of a great daughter out of the deal. Our daughter Michele was a month old the day we celebrated our first anniversary, and I left for Germany 2 days later. Carol and Michele joined me over there for a few months, but our relationship was pretty well shot by then. We tried again after I came home from the Army but we were just going through the motions. We finally got divorced--turns out we dated longer than we were married. But she’d turn up every once in awhile when things didn’t work out for her. She could always tap into me through Michele, until I finally told her to get lost. She ended up marrying some cowboy in a jerk-water border town and had a passel of kids, none of them as pretty or bright as our daughter.
Funny thing—Carol who was voted most athletic girl in school as a senior died some years ago of a bad heart. I was the only person I’ve ever known who flunked PE for talking back to the coach and refusing to suit out, and I’m still trucking. Like they say, living well is the best revenge. And sometimes just living is more than enough.