“Want to Bet?”

Over the years I have found that it is not unusual for couples meeting each other for the first or second time to ask the same old questions. Especially when travelling, either near or far, by land or sea. It seems a good bet that, along the way to developing new friendships, these questions are almost inevitable and inevitably the same.

You know the questions. It begins with “where are you from?”, “what do you do?”, “have you been here or done this before?”. On and on they bounce back and forth until at some point they become a little bit more intimate; “how long have you known each other?”, “what do you like to do?”, “have you ever been here or done that?”, etc, etc, etc.

Of all of these my favorite is always “how did you meet?” and all the questions that follow. The stories told to answer the questions run the gauntlet:

We met at the pool—We were High School Sweet hearts---A friend put us together------------you have heard most of them.

Then there are the more exotic ones:

We meet climbing the Himalayas---Hiking in Peru---Scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef.

And of course the ones involving friends and family:

My mother introduced us---He/She was my best friends spouse---A friend said that we were perfect for each other—A blind date.

And I could go on and on and on and on. But the best part of any of these stories is this. To the Couples who tell them and lived them----it is intimate, one of a kind, unique, special, and never to be forgotten.

Having traveled the world and meeting soooo many couples My lovely wife Kathy and I have heard hundreds of such stories, and every time we hear them, they are always new and wonderful again.

But, you might ask “What is my story?” How did you meet your wife?

Uh……………

…………….I was bet that I could never get Her to even go out with me.

I was at a Pre-wedding reception for my best friend Bob when I saw Kathy for the first time. She was across the room from me (you know the line from the song “across a crowded room”). I was stunned! It was as if I was I was gazing at a Dream. See was the most Beautiful. Graceful and Stunning young woman I had ever seen.

I went over to my friend Bob who was standing with his Fiancé’ Cindy, I asked “WHO IS that beauty+. It turned out that she was a good friend of Cindy’s. I can remember Cindy giggling and Bob smiling. They told me her name was Kathy. To the best of Cindy’s knowledge She had never dated---was not interested in dating and not interested in boys-- only in Ballet and that I would be wasting my time trying to date Her. Beside, they reminded me that I had somewhat of a reputation with the Ladies’. Not Kathy’s type—if she were looking for a type. Bob told me again not to waste my time. Never one to give up, I pressed for more details but in the end what I got was Bob betting me that I could not get Her to go out with me.

I just love a challenge.

A week later I arranged for Bob and Cindy to invite her to their apartment and out to the movies (not telling her that I was also “asked” to go along). Now I realize that subterfuge and deception are not the standard tools of courtship, but all is fair in Love and War.

The rest as they say is History! I fell in Love immediately, if I wasn’t already in Love just from seeing her for the first time. Did we date after that? Again and again. A month later I asked Her to Marry me ( I think Kathy will say it was two, but this is my story and I’m sticking to it). You will love her answer; “Yes, in time”.

We where Married the following year on July 30th 1977 on my birthday (what a present!) and have been in Love and Married now for 35 years.

So for all of you “want to be Lovers” I have only a few pointers:

“Love at First Sight” does exist. “Opposites attract” So do Identicals and every thing in-between. Stop at nothing for the sake of love. Aim High if not higher. Dream Big if not bigger. And never, never, never let some one else tell you who is or is not right for you.

Had I not lived by this advice I would have missed the Wonders of being with the most Wonderful Woman in the World!

Pray for me. I’ll Pray for you,

Still and always in Love.