What's your story? We all have stories to tell; happy, sad, surprising, touching, magical, mysterious, funny, ironic stories of our lives.
I shared a question on Facebook last week that elicited quite a response. The question was this: "If you had to marry your partner where you met him or her, where would that be?"
The responses were terrific. Each mini story left me wanting to ask more questions; to know more. Each story is completely unique because it belongs to only those two people. It's Their Story. No one else has the same one of where and when and how.
My husband and I had conflicting stories. I know, how can that be, right? Well, it happened like this:
The first time we had contact, and the response that Will provided to this question, was in the dark of night out by Lake Arrowhead where his fraternity was having a party. I agreed to accompany my friends out to this remote location. Their boyfriends were Will's fraternity brothers and were already out there somewhere in the dark. It was a cold night for Texas.
Will was completely covered in winter gear except for his face. He was also a bit affected by the beverages he had been imbibing during the evening…OK, a lot affected. He danced with me out in the dark, two-stepping to a rock song and continuing to dance after the music ended. He was a freshman. I was a sophomore. He later had no idea who it was he had danced with. He was all but forgotten by me.
Fast forward a few weeks later, here comes my response to the question; our official meeting. My sorority had a mixer with his fraternity. I was dressed as Kermit the Frog. He was dressed as Forest Gump. There was a theme; we didn't just go around dressing in costumes. He asked one of my best friends who it was he had danced with that night in the dark by the lake since she had been there too.
He spoke to me and used my name. I was surprised he had remembered. He didn't mention that he had asked my friend what my name was and which one I was. Instead he said, "Of course I remembered your name."
This time it was me who had a bit too much trash can punch, but I still remembered him the next day, and I knew his name.
I waited for him to call. He didn't. I waited two more days. He didn't call me. So, of course, me being me, I called him and asked him why he hadn't called me yet. He said, "I was going to call you."
It may not have been love at first sight, but for me, it was love at first taquito. That was our first "date"; Whataburger for taquitos; you know, flour tortillas with eggs and cheese and hashbrowns and meat if you wanted. I wasn't eating meat back then or rarely, anyway. It was the one on Southwest Parkway in Wichita Falls.
They serve them only from 11 pm to 11 am. I was on a big taquito kick back then and suggested we go at 11 pm for a taquito and chat. We sat and ate and talked and talked and talked. That was enough for me. He was good-looking and tall and funny (in a goofy way) and took all of my questions well and shared his thoughts and dreams and seemed like a good person. He may have needed more convincing, but big decisions I make quickly and easily. {I didn't tell him I had made this decision, of course. I waited for him to make up his mind…it took a while.}
So, to answer the question. We would have been married at the Sigma Nu house in Wichita Falls…in my version. Not my idea of an ideal wedding location. So, I'm glad we chose the United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. Why Oklahoma City…well, that's another story.
Now, my story here was a longer response, but I love the single line responses to the question I got on Facebook:
a college math class…Walker Art Center…TGIFridays... a Sadie Hawkins dance in high school…in church…Excel Energy Center…on the ski slopes…junior high…Target...a blind date at Perkins…barracks at Bergstrom AFB…blind date at The Dry Dock, a dry bar/dance place in Blaine…Linden Hills Chatterbox pub…a church summer camp where we worked…virtually…first in person at a bus stop…A& W drive-in…In kindergarten…
Don't these responses make you want to know more?
We meet lots of people, especially while in a college math class or at church or in school or at work or through friends, but what happened next? Why did you fall in love? How did you know you had met "the one"? How long does it take to fall in love? Does love at first sight really happen?
Do you share your story with your kids, your grandkids, your friends? Do you tell it to each other each year? Do you ever think what if I hadn't gone on that blind date or had changed plans or dropped that math class or not met each other at all?
And by the way, I don't think these things can be quantified with any scientific formula or device. I think it's a matter between the hearts and minds and souls. How about you? Over and out…
Anna
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