Angels and Bullfrogs

As our dating career progressed I can recall a number of memorable events.  I had decided to take a year off from my job in Lansing and attend Calvin College. I am not sure why I did this. I know that Deb was going to attend there and it was hard for me to think about her wandering around that place for a year with about 1500 other guys. Plus I was kind of bored by the business world.  I worked at a place by the name of AIS Construction Equipment and I do remember thinking about if I wanted to spend the rest of my life around stuff that did little more than dig holes in the dirt. Many of my friends had also gone on to college, I wanted to play on a golf team and I was ready for a new experience.

To this point I had lived at home. I had a little money saved and I can recall being proud that on the first day I paid cash for a one year stint at Calvin.  It was about $3,300 dollars at that time. I was also ready to move away from home.  Not that home was all that bad, but it just seemed like time.  Being a member of a CRC church, of which my father was the pastor, I felt some obligation to attend with them and I  at that time they had morning and night services.  I think I remember being at most all of these.  I moved into a dorm room at Calvin.  My roommate was a guy from California by the name of Clarence.  He was one of the finer looking male members of the species  and I do remember girls on the campus coming up to me to see if he "was taken."  This was always a bit of an insult to me. I felt like chopped liver every time anyone would ask me about this. 

I was looking forward so much to that first Sunday and one thing that was going to happen is that I was not going to church.  Clarence played the guitar and he was going to play it at the morning service. At that time white clothes, white belts and white shoes were in fashion.  I might have had a few beers the night before, I am not sure. As the sun was beaming through dorm window I opened my eyes and all I could see was a tall blond guy in the sunlight, standing in the room with all white clothes strumming on a guitar.  I remember thinking " I miss church one time, I die, but at least I get an angel in the room strumming a guitar. At least I made it to heaven."

After a few groggy moments I figured  out the situation.  I have never really liked beer all that much since.  Things did go forward however and around October I decided it might be time to think about asking Deb if she might chose to become married.  Now I think proposals have the potential to be memorable events.  I also think that the majority of them are somehow driven by TV.  But  they have a chance to be much less dramatic when you have already had a discussion on what you might like to name your children. For us that was the situation.  So we sat on a field by a soccer post, with the stars shining above, and I offered what I think now to be a rather feeble proposal. Blaring out of one of the dorm rooms was "Jeremiah is a Bullfrog."  I thought there was some justice in this.  The song that I had not been able to figure out some 4 years past and  the one I remember from the day I met her, was the same one I would  propose to.   Ever since, I have admired the guys that fly in with a parachute, put the ring on a flower or do something more than what I did.  But that is just the way it was.  I did however have the knowledge that it might be smart to have Deb help me pick out a ring and she did seem rather pleased with this.  (She can be a touch particular)

There was a guy  near Calvin College that had a small company named the Calvin Diamond Company.  The next night we found ourselves sitting at his kitchen table. He pulled out a cloth sack and spilled on to the table about 100 diamonds.  I remember his name was Cornelius Kikkert.  He was nice guy and he knew Calvin kids did not have a lot of money.  He sold us a diamond and showed us some pictures of some rings. A couple of days later we went over there and picked up the ring.  I have never been sure why diamonds are important to most women but for any reader of this I might just tell you now that they are.  Some day I will understand.

I was maybe about 22 years old at the time and I think Deb was 19.  When you are that age you think you know, but you don't.  You do not know the things that are coming up for you. You do not know what it is like to take on a full time roommate. You do not know how together you will handle the challenges of life.You do not know all that much about each other.  All you do know is that life is going to change in a short time for the both of you and you live with the hope that life will be good when it is shared.

For us this has worked out  well. A few bumps along the road but in the big picture a life that has been shared and lived together in love.  One thing that has always bugged Deb, is that she thinks that most married couples sleep on the same side of the bed for a life.  In other words one on the right and one on the left, not actually on the same side.   I have always kind of liked the rotation method.  So we switch every two months or so.  I am looking for one reader who thinks the same way so Deb does not think I am a touch weird. 

The morning after the proposal I met her for breakfast.  She told to not expect getting up this early to be a pattern.  I often wonder if a more dramatic proposal could have changed this. I think I know the answer.

I have a wedding to tell you about next.....and maybe a honeymoon story or two.....rated G by the way so don't get all that excited...Still good though!!!!

Stan the Man