The day my life changed.

It was 1968, I was a new kid at school and was on my first band trip.  I was in the eleventh grade.  We were headed to Washington, D.C. to march in the Cherry Blossom Festival.  My family had recently moved to the area and I had only been in the band a month or so, but I had noticed the band secretary from my back-row seat in the trumpet section as she carried out her duties in the front of the room.  Besides being secretary, she played saxophone and sat a few rows in front of me.

A few hours into our train ride I went looking for the few guys I had gotten to know - we had planned to play cards on the long trip. When I got to where they were the only seat available was next to her.  What should I do?  Then she said, "sit down, I don't bite."

Funny how I still remember those first words she spoke to me after over forty  years.  But, then that was the day my life changed.  I never went out with anyone else, we went to the junior and senior proms together.  In fact we've never been apart since that day.

We graduated high school together, and were married one year to the day from graduation.  And that only because her mother insisted we wait a year to see if we were still together.  You know how those teenage romances are.  June 12, 2010 was our fortieth wedding anniversary. I guess it's going to work out after all.

We currently have two grown and married children that we are immensely proud of and three wonderful grandchildren and one due to arrive in July.  Like I said, that was the day that my life changed and it couldn't have been a better ride so far.

The photo posted above was made on that train ride the day I was invited to sit by her.  It's easy to see from that smile why I jumped at the chance.

Below is a short slide show highlighting our time together.