How'd you meet your significant other(s)?

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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.



Let's try to be broad-minded about this
Well it was a bright sunny day when my family went on a split second decision drive to a nearby farm. We met with a man who was very nice and he led us to his barn and there were tons of striped gray and black kittens everywhere and suddenly a bright white and gray one stepped out from behind a hay stack and as soon as we laid eyes on each other...wait...does my cat count as a significant other?




One evening I looked down at my left hand and thought to myself "hmmm interesting... that just might work"

well now you all know I'm left-handed :s
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One day you will ask me, what's more important...me or your life. I will answer my life and you will walk away not knowing that you are my life



Well it was a bright sunny day when my family went on a split second decision drive to a nearby farm. We met with a man who was very nice and he led us to his barn and there were tons of striped gray and black kittens everywhere and suddenly a bright white and gray one stepped out from behind a hay stack and as soon as we laid eyes on each other...wait...does my cat count as a significant other?
I'm tempted to say every pussy counts, but some folks might misunderstand that. Besides, your cat sounds nicer than my first ex-wife.



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.
Well, I believe that I've already told the story but I met Brenda when we were both air traffic controllers at Oakland Center in Fremont, California. I started work there in January 1984 and she came in about a year later. One of the things which controllers do is train other controllers, and we worked in the oceanic sector (no radar), so I taught her how to manually separate the traffic flying back and forth between Hawaii, Japan, Australia and most anyplace you'd go crossing the Pacific Ocean. Yes, we even gave takeoff/arrival clearances to planes at Wake, Midway, Johnston, etc. Anyway, I'm from SoCal (Compton, Orange County) and she is too (Bakersfield), so we found out that we both loved the LA sports teams and hated the Bay Area teams, and we both liked movies, so that made it natural to get together to watch sports and movies. The life of an air traffic controller is rather lonely because you work such unusual hours that most all your friends turn out to be ATCs too. So we got hooked up while I was training her, but after she got "checked out" on the sectors, they put her back to her original shifts which were almost opposite mine during the work week.

Probably the most "amusing" story involving us happened even before I started training her though. We were both at a party at one of the other controller's house which had a swimming pool in the backyard where most people congregated. Well, we both had nice clothes on, but I started chasing Brenda around the pool and eventually I went in and got soaking wet. Brenda says that was when she started thinking that maybe I was the one.
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Well, my current bird, complicated as the situation maybe right now, is a rather uninteresting story. She was working at my term time job, started when i was back home but she had been told by others about my reputation and how i'd probably try it on with her. My friend who also works there as a term time job told me there was a new attractive girl working there and i checked her facebook, as you do. It had under films 'i don't really like that many, i normally fall asleep' or something similar that put a big 'no' on her.

I don't think I was what she expected so we got along at work fine, both trying to beat out each other in in-store competitions. My manager liked her though and she wasn't that interested, they'd kissed couple times so i was staying away. Anyway, we were out on a staff do and i was trying to come out of my current year-ish long relationship from a girl that was becoming a bit unstable and wouldn't let me leave her, had finally had enough so just decisively ended it that night. Me and my friend (who was trying to get with her as well) were chatting to her most the night and her best friend (who was also our manager and also the other manager's sister) was getting annoyed that she was spending her time with us and not her brother so there was lot of tension. It got to the point where she decided to leave, being a gentlemen *ahem* i said it was ridiculous that she was going to walk home alone in the early hours. So we left together, with her texting my "concerned" (for his chances) friend saying she was in the toilet at the club so as not raise suspicions. Gave her my jumper and offered to cook her some food so we went back to mine, put 300 on although i *ahem* couldn't get the lounge tv to play it so we had to watch it upstairs, in my room.

And it went from there, through a secretive in-work relationship to the complete devastation around X-mas time to current 'difficult' situation.
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Welcome to the human race...
For me, it started on MySpace back in late 2007. I'd added a few friends from another forum I visit - the girl in question knew said friends and decided to send me a friend request because I "sounded more interesting than most of the people on MySpace". And so it went. Didn't actually meet her in real life till about a year later when I had an excuse to travel to her town. Met up with her and that, as they say, is that.
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How long you've been with her, Iro? I've always been a bit dubious of online romances but some instances, like yours, doesn't sound to bad.



Welcome to the human race...
A little over six months now. It's all right, kind of sucks that we only get to see each other every few months but on the plus side, she's coming to see me next week so



I guess that was an easy mistake to make, but why else would I let a whole year go by?
Because you spent that year casually talking and didn't need to meet her?



I am half agony, half hope.
1988- I'm working at Marri's Pizza in North Long Beach- waitress during the day, assistant manager three nights a week. Slug (Mike) and his friends used to come in on Friday evenings which I had off. Well, one Friday I took my friend's shift so she could go on a date, and Mike and his friends were at a table near my station. I never noticed them-they weren't my customers- but Mike saw my back, and heard me laugh, and I guess that was it for him, he loved me right then.

Now, I was already in a long-term relationship with a guy that didn't love me the way I needed. So, when Mike started asking the girls about me trying to figure out if I was available to date, they said yes. And I was. I would have gone out with him because I had realized that my other realtionship wasn't going where I wanted it to.

This talk about me going out with him lasted 7 months. And every time our paths crossed at the restaurant, He NEVER said a word to me. His friends would ask me questions and make small talk, but Mike was always silent. I had a hard time believing he was into me like I had heard.

About a month later, Mike came in for dinner and was quiet as usual, and finally my roommate, a biker chick named Missy went to his table when his friend hit the restroom and cornered him to say, "If you don't ask Stacy out tonight, I'm gonna kick your ass." Mike was afraid, and rightly so, Missy was an ass kicker! So the next time I went to ring up a customer, Mike asked me if I would Like to go out. I said okay, and we made arrangements to go to Disneyland the next week.

About three days after we made our date, I figured he'd be too shy to be any fun, so I invited him to lunch to get to know me. It went well, and the Disneyland date was a hit.

The night he asked me out was March 29th, and by July 1st I had moved in with him, and we've been together ever since. We'll be married 19 years this July.
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Johann von Goethe



1988- Mah future wife Stacy, was wawkin' at Marri's Pizza in No'th Long Betch- as a waitress durin' th' day, an' as assistant manager three nights a week.

Shet mah mouth! Mah friends an' I, used t'come in on Friday evenin's. Wal, one Friday she took her friend's shif' so she c'd hoof it on a date, an' me an' mah friends were at a table near her stashun. ah sar mah back, an' ah heard her laugh, an' ah thet was it fo' me, ah loved her right then.

As enny fool kin plainly see. ah started axin' th' waitresses, eff'n Stacy'd hoof it out wif me. This hyar phase, lasted 7 months. An' ev'ry time our paths crosted at th' restaurant, ah w'dn’t say a wo'd t'her.

About a month later, ah came in fo' dinner an' was quiet as usual, when a biker chick named Missy went t'mah table an' said, "Eff'n yo' doesn't ax Stacy out tonight, ah's gonna kick yer ass." Missy was an ass kicker! Fry mah hide! ah said okay, an' we made arrangements t'go t'Disneylan' th' next week.

Shet mah mouth! It went fine, an' th' Disneylan' date was a hit.

We've been togither evah on account o'. We'll be married up wif 19 years this hyar July. Stacy is th' love of mah life.
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My friend Adam had a friend (Duff) who I became friends with, too. Duff had a girlfriend at the time (Jess), who worked with a girl named Jaime (buckle up, it gets worse). Jaime used to hold parties at her apartment; usually about one a week, usually Fridays, if I recall correctly.

I'd been single for a little while and hadn't been getting out much at the time, so Adam suggested I come along. So I did; I met a lot of new people, and had a really good time.

I went back a few more times in the weeks that followed and met a student at the college down the street (Chatham University) named Alyse; a number of her friends were there, including a girl named Courtney. I think I saw her once, but we never spoke. Alyse and I actually went out once, but we didn't really click. But by then, we were already fairly good friends, and I'd started to become friends with her friends from Chatham, so we still all hung out as a group.

Alyse introduced me to Courtney, who was her roommate at the time. She was there for a lot of the group activities and we ended up alone a couple of times, where we discussed books and movies and other random things. She seemed nice, but before long the summer came and she had to go back home. Before she did, I got her email address, and we wrote back and forth regularly all summer long.

When she got back, the group picked up right where it'd left off, and by this point it was pretty obvious to everyone that something was starting to happen between us. We slowly gravitated off into our own activities. One night, after playing a board game, fending off the biggest moth you've ever seen, and going out for some coffee, she took charge of the situation. I'm not sure of the exact words, but as I was driving her back to her apartment she told me that she wanted to kiss me. Take that, gender roles.

She had to go back home the summer after again, but I went out to visit her, and when she graduated last year she decided to stay here. We'll have been together four years at the end of August.

So, anyway, in short it goes like this: we met through the friend of a friend's girlfriend's co-worker's party where her roommate was. Couldn't tell you whether or not Jack built any of the houses in which this happened.

Oh, and her roommate (Alyse) eventually ended up dating my brother. They're still together and she's moving out here next week.



The Adventure Starts Here!
Well, Courtney is in good company with that bold move in the car!

I met Wayne (hubby #2) in 1998 via the Internet. Emails first. IMs second. Phone calls and then finally a date at Applebee's ... after which I cried all the way home in my car, vowing never to go on anything like a blind date again. No great first impressions here for me!

But after about 10 months of doing stuff together as friends (and fellow single parents) -- stuff like rib festivals, movies, dinners, amusement parks, parties, clubbing -- he started to ask me in his car if he could hold my hand. Mind you, I was 38 years old and had four kids, and he had two kids, but it was soooo cute that he asked.

After a few times of this, I finally took charge of the situation and when he asked to hold my hand (again) I just leaned over and kissed him.

Take that, gender roles.

We were married -- with our six kids around us in an outdoor gazebo previously used in the movie "Gung Ho" -- about six months later.



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.
Well, I left off all kinds of things involving poking my head under the bedsheets and then our going to buy a Christmas tree at Morro Bay the day after. There was also the time I lay on the living room floor and stuck my finger in the VHS player to make sure that Dr. Strangelove would stop rolling for Brenda, and that damn guy rang the doorbell of my apartment for no good reason.

Oh no, that's getting me off-topic and reminding me of what happened at that same apartment before I even knew Brenda. I'd gotten off a double shift at work and I was relaxing on my sofa watching a movie. I lived upstairs and there was only one other apartment up there, so I had no reason to think that anyone would come upstairs. Therefore I opened my curtains and sliding window to cool off, and then, with high heels clomping, two hookers showed up. They saw me in my undies through the window and were incredulous when I told them that they were at the wrong place. I asked the address they wanted and directed them to next door, upstairs. They still didn't believe me but went over anyway. I could hear when they came down about 45 minutes later...

I love you, Brenda!



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Met my current girlfriend in grade 8 when we graduated elementary school. She went to St. Michael and I went to Sts. Peter and Paul. We graduated at my church for a ceremony. I did not even recognize her or remember her. But this is where we first technically saw each other.

We didn't officially meet until the following year in grade 9. We took the same bus together to get to high school. She lives a few blocks away from me. We became friends and then we all went on a Religion Retreat in grade 12. This retreat we go to churches and religious sites. We went to Europe, specifically Italy and France. Visited every hot spot for the school in the morning, then did our own things in the afternoon.

It was on this trip that we 'hooked' up. We had our first kiss in Rome and have been together ever since. That would be 4 years now.

But it is not all fairy tales my friend, for things were not all good when we got together in Europe, no....not in the least.

So let's back it up.

*Beep*....*Beep*.....*Beep*

She had previously dated a friend within the friend group, his name was Cody. They went out for about a week or so and she broke it off because it was too weird. She liked both him and me at the same time, but me being completely oblivious to her liking me and he showing more interest in her, they went out. She still had a thing for me after they went out and started dropping hints, hints I did not pick up on until we were in Europe, where it was blatantly obvious.

She would always sit beside me on the bus rides, walk beside me on the sightings. When we were all hanging out in our room she would sit on my bed. All of this and I still did not pick up on it. Until we played a game at the dinner table. We all had to pick the best looking person on the trip. We all went around the table and when it came to Michelle (my g/f) she was embarrassed to say. Erin, another mutual friend, blurted out "Just say Matt already". I think this was my first clue in.

That night we 'cuddled' on my bed and she gave me a kiss before she left to go back to her room. Before the three of us went to bed. The three of us in our room being myself, my friend Dave and.....CODY (Dunn, Dunnn, Dunnnnnnn) I asked them to answer the question asked at the dinner table, because they did not answer it.

Dave said some girl, and when I asked Cody, this was his response. Word for word, because after 4 years, I still have it burned into my brain.

"F*ck you, you god damn backstabber. I hope you burn in hell."

"What?"

"You knew I liked her and you purposely asked that question. Then you come up here and cuddle with her to rub it in my face. You call yourself a friend? F*ck you *******"

My response?

I just turned away and 'fell asleep'

My buddy Dave was standing there and he looked at both of us and just muttered to himself..."Jesus". Then he went to sleep.

The next day was one of the most awkward and worse days of the whole trip. Michelle came down for breakfast said hi and smiled. I just nodded and didn't say anything. I did not speak to Cody or Michelle almost the whole day. Dave filled her in on what happened that night and Allessandro (our other friend) was completely oblivious. He's that type of friend. At the end of the day he asked why no one was talking to anyone. Horrible at the time, but looking back it is freaking hysterical. I remember one of the days we were out, I bought her a Duck. A Beanie Baby type stuffed animal and put it on her bed. She calls it Matty the Duck.

Anyways Dave told Cody to talk to us and he gave a little speech about wanting to see her happy. I told them both that I had no idea he liked her and wouldn't have done anything if I had known. I don't even remember if I had known that they had gone out with each other.

Anyways, he said he was fine with it....but he wasn't fine with it. Him and I didn't really speak for the rest of the trip and I was hesitant on going out with Michelle when we got back. You see, there was this other girl back home who liked him. I was debating on which one I thought I should go out with. I ultimately chose Michelle and Cody did not speak to me for about 4 or 5 months. He would purposely ignore me at group get togethers and hang out with Michelle a lot, because they were still 'good friends'. Which really pissed me off because it felt like he was trying to get her back.

Kind of still does today, as they hang out on a regular basis and I've seen him maybe 3 times 2 years.

So Michelle and I have been together for 4 years. She watches a bunch of crappy movies that she knows she will hate, just because she wants to watch them with me.

*cue the Awwwwww*

She went to see both No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. Two movies I knew she would hate and be bored at....she was. But hey, she tagged along.






...oh yeah, she looks great naked.
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