I remember it well, not the actual day, but it must have been a Saturday brunch. I was sitting there, mind you, by myself enjoying a sausage and scrambled egg breakfast. For some reason, must have been the Holy Spirit, I glanced around the room and there was this cute little brunette girl staring at me. Now I know that people often stare at strange folk so I figured this must be the case with her. But, I decided to stare back. She was sitting with an acquaintance of mine that I had in class. Sitting there, a thought rambled through my gray matter, must have been the Spirit, and I thought, “That’s the gal I’m going to marry.” That was it, a flash, and it was gone.
Well, she realized that she had been staring at me, and I don’t know the conversation at their table, but eventually they came to me and I was introduced. Annie Baker from Pittsburgh area. Nice to me yuh, nothing else from either of us. Several months passed, and into the new year of 1970, she appeared again. We just happened to keep bumping into each other, there goes the Holy Spirit again–the post office, the basketball game, a concert, the library. Finally, while at the library I decided to ask her out. From that first date of bowling and pizza it became a whirlwind. You know something; it still is.
Now I fell for her, whooeee, but it took a mite of work on my part. I’d go my room after we took a walk in the park, and I always saved at least a dime so I could buy her an ice cream or something to drink at the snack shop. Then I had to spend a summer apart. The words of this poem, by that famous poet “anonymous” fits the bill.
“Lonesome? Well, I guess so!
This place is mighty blue:
The silence of the empty rooms
Jes’ palpitates with — you.”
If you haven’t figured out by now, that crazy day is upcoming–Valentines Day. My mercy! This will be our 47th Valentines Day together. One thing for sure, I wasn’t about to give up on a good thing!
We’ve never been fancy folk. I sure didn’t have any money, and still don’t have much, but I kept her for many years. There was a popular song by Charlie Pride back then and I often sang it to her, much to her chagrin, not the words but my voice.
“They’ll be no mansions waiting on the hill with crystal chandeliers…. All I have to offer you is me.”
Whoooeee, and she took it. Must have been the Holy Spirit! Have I ever told you that she really knows how to bake a pie?!!
“Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.”
–Proverbs 31:10 (NLT)