Our 43rd anniversary is Friday. I got to thinking about how me and Lynne met. I do not believe the story has ever been told.
We lived in different towns but we both had after school jobs at Stantial-McCollugh in Reading. I worked in the back picking parts for the chainsaw and motorcycle distributer and Lynne worked up front in the office.
Every day she would walk down back, in her mini skirt, to give paperwork to the foreman. I would always stop to stare. She would smile and wave as she walked by.
As for me I was cursed with shyness. Like an artist?s blank canvas, allergic to colors and just hoping I would not be the artist choice, I could always think up 20 reasons to stay silent. Especially when girls were concerned. And this girl was the Tom Brady of girls, which was pretty good because he wasn?t even born yet, but it gave him a target of greatness to shoot for and for that he should be thankful.
Anyway, I was trying to ask her out but like I said I could always come up with 400 reasons not to say anything. I would think ?She?s perfect, she?s out of my league, I will just make a fool out of myself and she might not wave to me again!? Any excuse I could think of would be good enough for me.
One day she comes walking down back, right on schedule, on her mission to brighten up the warehouse. I happen to notice she has on the ugliest black shoes I ever saw. Some kind of a pump with a stupid thin black strap. Just as I was fighting a regurgitation from the ugliness of the shoes she stumbles. She didn?t fall but did one of those half skips and kept her balance. Head up and eyes fixed straight ahead she continued on to her destination.
I thought to myself that ?She?s not so perfect. Those stupid shoes and she stumbles! She?s not so great she would probably go out with me!?
How?s that for a level of shyness? I decided to ask her out. Maybe a date to the beach. I mean it?s not really a date it?s just a couple of people going to the beach.
Somehow, I stuttered the words out of my mouth to ask her out. She accepted! Our first date, or not really a date, would be at Singing Sands Beach in Manchester By The Sea.
I remember getting to the beach and putting the blanket down and putting stones down on the corners so the blanket wouldn?t blow away. When I looked up she had taken off her street clothes and was standing in a little orange and yellow bikini.
I was officially smitten.
One thing led to another. We were married 43 years ago friday. Through the years we had our ups and downs like everyone does. Little feet soon came and we collected bills and never seemed to have enough to pay them. Through it all she never complained. We made mistakes but raised two great kids and are blessed with two fantastic grand kids.
This morning like every morning for 43 years, I wake up and pinch myself when I see her sleeping next to me. Then I thank God for ugly black shoes and little orange and yellow bikinis.
We lived in different towns but we both had after school jobs at Stantial-McCollugh in Reading. I worked in the back picking parts for the chainsaw and motorcycle distributer and Lynne worked up front in the office.
Every day she would walk down back, in her mini skirt, to give paperwork to the foreman. I would always stop to stare. She would smile and wave as she walked by.
As for me I was cursed with shyness. Like an artist?s blank canvas, allergic to colors and just hoping I would not be the artist choice, I could always think up 20 reasons to stay silent. Especially when girls were concerned. And this girl was the Tom Brady of girls, which was pretty good because he wasn?t even born yet, but it gave him a target of greatness to shoot for and for that he should be thankful.
Anyway, I was trying to ask her out but like I said I could always come up with 400 reasons not to say anything. I would think ?She?s perfect, she?s out of my league, I will just make a fool out of myself and she might not wave to me again!? Any excuse I could think of would be good enough for me.
One day she comes walking down back, right on schedule, on her mission to brighten up the warehouse. I happen to notice she has on the ugliest black shoes I ever saw. Some kind of a pump with a stupid thin black strap. Just as I was fighting a regurgitation from the ugliness of the shoes she stumbles. She didn?t fall but did one of those half skips and kept her balance. Head up and eyes fixed straight ahead she continued on to her destination.
I thought to myself that ?She?s not so perfect. Those stupid shoes and she stumbles! She?s not so great she would probably go out with me!?
How?s that for a level of shyness? I decided to ask her out. Maybe a date to the beach. I mean it?s not really a date it?s just a couple of people going to the beach.
Somehow, I stuttered the words out of my mouth to ask her out. She accepted! Our first date, or not really a date, would be at Singing Sands Beach in Manchester By The Sea.
I remember getting to the beach and putting the blanket down and putting stones down on the corners so the blanket wouldn?t blow away. When I looked up she had taken off her street clothes and was standing in a little orange and yellow bikini.
I was officially smitten.
One thing led to another. We were married 43 years ago friday. Through the years we had our ups and downs like everyone does. Little feet soon came and we collected bills and never seemed to have enough to pay them. Through it all she never complained. We made mistakes but raised two great kids and are blessed with two fantastic grand kids.
This morning like every morning for 43 years, I wake up and pinch myself when I see her sleeping next to me. Then I thank God for ugly black shoes and little orange and yellow bikinis.
