It was just over 31 years ago that we met for the first time.
I have forgotten more things in that time than I now remember, and stories change and evolve about who, when, how and why. But, while seated across from each other, in a friends front room, with many others in the room, we were alone, and falling for each other, without initially realizing it.
My friend and I had recently returned from serving together as missionaries in the Mexico Veracruz Mission. I had come to his homecoming, with a girl from my home ward. I had dated her before my mission and this was our first “date” since my return.
But, as I sat there on the couch with her, I was struck by the cute face from across the room. Who was this cute girl he had at his house following the church meeting, I wondered. Ah, what the heck, I’ll ask! He and I carried on a conversation in Spanish, much to the chagrin of my date, as well as the one I was asking about. Come to find out, he and she were also “dating” and he had known her prior to his mission, also.
Long story short, it wasn’t long before I had finagled a date with her…....through him. And he had set up a date with a friend of hers……..through her. A double date with friends going out with friends’ friends.
That first date was a fun Saturday afternoon with bowling, pizza and a movie. I agreed to drive my convertible. As he was escorting his date from her home to the car, my date and I were plotting to be sure they sat close in the back seat. It was as if we had known each other for years. No need for uncomfortable silence and clumsy small talk. We were already close, without initially realizing it.
The days and weeks that followed flew by. We saw each other more and more regularly, though each of us dated others during that time. Both wanting to be sure that what we knew we were feeling was right. But it didn’t take long to come to the realization that we knew where we wanted to be. In many people’s view, the time from our first meeting to the day of our engagement was the blink of an eye.
In spite of the physical distance from my house to hers, we saw each other nearly every day for the next 4 months. Doing fun things together, talking together, laughing together and planning together.
Finally, October 7th, 1977, the two of us became one. The rest is history.
No comments:
Post a Comment