I met my wife in college. I was studying music and she was studying to be a teacher. I always wanted to become a Dr., but I took a detour at a local college because they gave me a scholarship. And I think I was too scared not to live within driving distance to my parents.
Nothing was coed back then, so it was hard to meet girls and even more difficult to have sex. Typically, men and women were not friends. You couldn't just hang out with girls. It was automatically a date and that meant you had to follow curfews and rules. Lucky for me, Stephanie was older and the enforcer of many of those rules on campus.
I met her in the study hall. I walked in and it actually was love at first sight. Her hair, her smell, her voice and I was tingling. Keep in mind, I was still standing 25 feet away from her. She hadn't even looked up at me. She was an upperclassman, probably going to graduate that year and I was a sophomore.
I walked up to her desk. I dropped to my knees and pleaded. Please, please, please go out with me on Friday night? I grabbed both of her hands as she stared. The relaxed and calming look in her eyes, I would come to know later as home and comfort. Yet, she seemed amused. A smile. And then I felt it. THE RING. She was engaged. To whom? How could I have let someone else get her first? I still begged. I still pleaded. And she laughed.
She was going to marry Hank. They had been going steady for practically their whole lives. He graduated the year before and was waiting for Stephy to finish school. I still begged. I still pleaded and this was a big no no back in those days. Everyone in the study hall looked at me like I was a nutcase. And I was a nutcase, or I guess I am still a nutcase.
It was going to be summer soon, so I didn't have a lot of time. I did manage after everyone left the study hall to convince her to come to a picnic with me the following Saturday. Of course, she didn't know it would only be the two of us, but that didn't matter. We had a date!
I took the four hour bus ride home immediately. Upon arrival, I ignored my mother and cornered my father in the garage. I explained to him that I had just met the girl of my dreams and could I please bring the car back to school. I had to have a car. She was an upperclassman. I would bring it back in perfect condition after the summer, or before that, whenever he wanted. But I had to have it, at least for this upcoming Saturday and maybe a little longer. Please, please, please. I have to. I'm in love. He must have understood how serious I was about Stephanie because he let me take the car back to campus and gave me money for petro. Then, I harassed my mom for anything picnic like, any food item, basket, flower, blanket. My poor mother, here comes her tornado son demanding not only food, but random picnic items? She was always so helpful and I guess she knew what I was doing. Either because it was so plainly obvious, or my because my father told her. I don't know. I don't even think I saw my brother during that visit, it was so quick and busy. I do remember hearing him playing the guitar upstairs, but I'm not even sure I stopped in to say hello. All I could think was Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie. STEPHANIE.
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