Friday, February 13, 2009

Forty to Fifty



This is a picture from the second-most significant event that happened when I was in my forties – my wedding to Old Dog (then a much younger dog). I met him at a cowboy bar OR we were introduced by mutual friends.

Both of these statements are true. I generally choose which version to tell based on the reaction I’m looking for.

One evening a few months after Divorce #2 was final, mutual friends invited me to come out to a cowboy bar where they went to line dance and two-step. After I’d been there for a half-hour or so, Not-so-Old-Dog came over to our table, and my first thought was, “Ooh. Nice eyes.” My second thought was, “Get me a silver crucifix and a rope of garlic.”

A month or so later, I got a job offer from Up North and moved away. I exchanged a couple of letters with him, but soon had to let him know that I was dating someone up there.

Two years later, I came home for my sister’s wedding and ran into him again. By then I’d broken up with Mr. Right Now and Not-so-old-Dog still had nice eyes. And some other stuff that was looking pretty good, too.

Still, I don’t know if it would have turned into anything except for one thing: the friend who’d introduced us told me that someone had given him a picture taken that first night we’d met. And for the past two years, even after I sent him that “Dear Dog” letter, even while I was dating someone else, he’d carried that picture around his wallet.

He told me later that he’d always figured that when I got married it would be time to take the picture out of his wallet and throw it away.

But he never has.

25 comments:

  1. It took me two divorces to find Mrs Wright, but then I found Hayley.

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  2. I love the part about the picture in the wallet.

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  3. What a romantic! No wonder this one stuck.

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  4. Romance... been so long, I have no point of reference! All I got was teen age lust- and marriage for 35 years!

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  5. Oh how romatic, just in time for Valentine's! Great wedding photo. Love the boots.

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  6. When its right its right, and when its good its freaking the best thing ever...I too was fortunate to know after two years what was in front of me...

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  7. What a beautiful Valentine post!
    I'm happy for you.

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  8. It's been a great week with lots of great memories brought out. Like the time you made "Old Dog" talk to me on the phone when he'd never met me. Knowing him today I realize how hard this had to have been for him. Happy Birthday. I can tell you from experience it only gets better from now.

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  9. Very sweeet. Thanks for sharing your decades, I very much enjoyed the synopsises (?) synopsi ... ? synopsess... the posts.

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  10. This is soooo romantic. You're killing the rest of the guys in the crowd. Happy Birthday.

    Same cowboy bar as the mechanical bull? Wouldn't THAT be something.

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  11. Wow...What a sweet story!
    I hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day!

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  12. Oh was a sweet guy! Now is your birthday today? Happy Birthday to you! I liked all your decades this week! :)

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  13. What a great story! Sometimes the best things are just meant to be.

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  14. By far Old Dog is my favorite of the three, this only confirms it. Happy Birthday.

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  15. Well that's the biggest AWWW story.

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  16. Very, very sweet. Love the picture in the wallet.

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