We go to the party, and meet many of their friends, and I’m introduced as “Linda’s good friend, Randy.” One of the ladies (Sue’s age then - maybe 40ish) cornered me and says “How good a friend are you?” giving me a wink and raised eyebrow. Without a blink, I blurt out “well, I’m proposing to her tonight, but don’t tell anybody!” She says “Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret” and gave me knowing glances the rest of the night. After we leave the party, she went to Sue and said “Guess what Randy told me” and tells Sue the secret (there’s a lesson learned here, eh?).
Now well fortified and well committed, I carefully drove us to Linda’s apartment and we had an appropriate amorous interlude. It was time to exchange Valentine’s Day cards and gifts, and I only had a card. She opened my card and inside I had written “Will you be my Valentine … forever?” She looked at me, now down on my knees, and says “does this mean your proposing to me” and I said “Will you marry me?” Of course, another appropriate amorous interlude occurred, and I went to my apartment an hour later.
We went to the church the next morning (after about 3 hours sleep!) and talked to Pastor Ted, and asked him if he would marry us on 21 March 1970. We wanted 21 March because Linda was a schoolteacher and Easter vacation was the following week and we wanted to travel. Pastor Ted said he would, and we set off on the whirlwind five weeks of preparation and planning, that culminated in a 7-day honeymoon in Acapulco, but that’s another story. I found out that Linda was a great project manager! Also, Mr. Romantic did a pretty good job of finding an excellent woman to marry, and after over 50 years we’re still in love and living amicably. It hasn’t been much of a struggle.
Life has been good for us with health, work, children, friends, church, hobbies, vacations, retirement, and grandchildren. We missed celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary with a family and friends party at church - COVID isolation started the week before our anniversary. We still laugh about, and appreciate, 14 February 1970. I made a superb choice and an excellent decision.
[Note: This was written several years ago, before Linda fell and broke her left hip in June 2021, had a hip repair operation, and went to a rehab facility. She had too much pain in her hip and we placed her in a skilled nursing facility. She hasn’t walked since then, and also has Alzheimers disease, so she is now in a skilled nursing and memory care facility and I visit her 4-6 times a week. We finally celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary, and my 80th birthday, in October 2023 at our church, featuring an Elvis impersonator, with 80 friends and colleagues.]
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