30 May 2008

CURVE BALL

HOW I MET MY HERO

right off the bat i know i have very little capacity for science or math – too much to memorize for me – so we won’t go there with the curve prompt --- next i hear myself thinking more about life – isn’t there a quote about life is what happens to you while you’re busy planning your life or something along that line??? --- i have a good friend that spoke of life recently as a journey where you stop for flat tires, food, directions, potty, to switch drivers, whatever, and she advised me to get in the back seat and let Somebody Else drive for a while and just enjoy it – i’m trying to do that –

so as i cogitate back here and gaze at the scenery of life as i pass by, i think about curves - it comes to me that i think about the journey as a constant learning curve, then I remember it’s a very long road that has no turn (another old adage, if i’m not mistaken), you never know what’s around the corner, and all that jazz --- then somehow the switch is flipped and WOOT! WOOT! - i’m actually relaxing and dozing off here in the back seat with random clips of curve balls --- seems to me that life is a series of curve balls - what else would hold anyone's interest? - that sometimes means a swing and a miss, or with a good solid THWAKKKK!!!! can turn into a grand slam --- my greatest grand slam was meeting MY HERO ---

we first met on june 10, 1966 – that was the day I got engaged to my first husband –

in those days they sized rings for you in a matter of an hour or two – we had chosen my engagement ring at a downtown jewellery store, and decided to go and toast our wonderful occasion while we waited for it to be sized --- we went to the old la salle hotel, the grande dame of town at that time, and made our way to the “persian room” – the quiet lounge adjacent to the dining room – the bartender on duty was a friend of my new fiance, he came to our table to take our order, and we were introduced --- he congratulated us on our happy event, and bought us a bottle of champagne for a gift --- he served it with all the pizzazz and flourish one would see on the big screen – silver tray high over his head, white linen, expert cork-popping, the whole nine yards --- now truth to tell, i never have been much of a champagne aficionado, but it certainly seemed like the most appropriate thing to be doing under the circumstances – i was feeling pretty pampered and altogether special ---

in due time, the new fiance had to use the washroom, so there I was all by my own self, minding my own business, and WHOA!!! --- Zippity-Bim-Bam- Boom, here comes the bartender, folks!!! --- well, he was absolutely polite about it all, and smiled a really beautiful smile, and stood there before me as if he were in his right mind to tell me this: “this guy is not the one for you, but go ahead and marry him if you want to – just remember when you two are through, i’ll still be around!” --- can you believe this? – what a cad!!! – I mean I was in LOVE! with my brand spanking new fiance - not even two hours before the bartender had been introduced to his ?friend’s prospective new wife, and now as soon as the guy is gone, well! – here he is lining himself up! --- what a piece of work, eh wot???

time passes – the fiance and i were married on october 29, 1966 and we were separated in august of 1968 --- more time passes, i am into my career and the bartender has become a municipal employee, and eventually we strike up our own friendship in 1970 – we “accidentally” ran into one another often and schmoozed over coffee as we became closer and closer --- we had a trial run at romance, bad timing, and went our separate ways ---

but WAIT - THERE’S MORE!!!

we began seeing one another again in may of 1976, and got along famously --- we were still going to have to work to iron out a few kinks, but guess what? --- the bartender was right – that first guy sure was NOT! for me, but the bartender WAS! still around ---

we were married on july 4, 1981

HE’S MY HERO!!!!!





10 comments:

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

Whoa. Definitely a curve ball there, Danni. What a smart man, to pick up on how perfect for you he was.

Robin said...

What a fantastic story. Sometimes that lightning bolt just hits, consequences be damned...

Pirate Princess said...

Wow! That's a fun story! You never know, do you?

Tanya Gwen Minnick said...

Danni, a beautiful story- just as you two both are beautiful people and I'm glad you are my friend :)
You are the best storyteller! xo

Giggles said...

Wonderful story! I'm in love with love so you had my attention the whole way through! Romantic and excellent intuition too! What more could you want!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen said...

Wow--what a great story! Isn't it nice to know that we keep getting more chances to get it right?!

Nice entry!

Miss Alister said...

One heck of a screen play you lived out, I must say! It’s brochure material for the first quote you mentioned, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” by the illustrious John Lennon. The crowd roared as Danni takes a bow! And you are so right about curve balls—what else would hold anyone’s interest??!
missalister

TD said...

And people say you can't meet a good guy in a bar HA ! May be your first husband was the curve ball. Usually we only catch a piece of a curve ball. It's only with a perfect pitch that we can get a home run .Here's to Doug for throwing a strait ball and hitting you home to him ! TD

TD said...

And people say you can't meet a good guy in a bar HA ! May be your first husband was the curve ball. Usually we only catch a piece of a curve ball. It's only with a perfect pitch that we can get a home run .Here's to Doug for throwing a strait ball and hitting you home to him ! TD

Michelle said...

Awe... I love true love! As a believer, it makes me wonder if you might have known when you married your first that he wasn't your soulmate.
I married young (18 in fact) but dated another guy quite seriously before we went our separate ways. If we were any older, we may have made a mistake and married.
But when I met my husband I KNEW he was the one. We met by chance at a laundromat, eloped 9 months later, and this year we're celebrating 20 happy years together!