How did you meet the love of your life?

 

That is a very simple question but the repercussions could be immeasurable.

Now myself and Lady Eccles as she likes to be known first met in a pub, now I can hear you say that is no surprise but the truth is that I had watched Ann for months (not as stalker, that is weird) but I never had the courage to ask her out on a date because I thought I was (in cricketing terms) batting way above my weight.

Now Ann, when we first met was quite a looker (to me she hasn’t changed that much), but what I do remember she had very long hair and fantastic cheekbones which were a pre requisite of being cool in the seventies.

Now I must  explain that at that time it was cool to be cool and never put yourself in the path of rejection and with that in mind you would not in a million years ever tell someone that you fancied them in case they knocked you back. It was unheard of.

If it was down to the children of the seventies we would now be extinct.

Every night when our paths would cross and we would have a chat and have a laugh and then she would tell me she was waiting for someone and I would think that I wish it was me but never having the nerve to speak up. So after months of trying to be cool I invited her and her friend to my twenty-first birthday party.

Now its very difficult to appear smooth or cool dressed as Sylvester the cat but I never gave that a thought however my friend who came as Dracula who stole the show asked her out for a meal, so not to be outdone I asked her friend out and we made it a foursome (in a non promiscuous way).

So we met in a restaurant and were having a very pleasant time but then I realised I was spending more time talking to her that my date. Now that is not a great move but by midnight somehow we  had managed to arrange a date to go to the cinema the following week.

Now I know that most of you by now realise that I am a little short on being romantic and the grand gesture thing so it will come as no surprise that we arranged to go and watch that classic seventies film “Confessions of a Window Cleaner”.

Now you must remember that it was the seventies and we did have three Cinemas in town, all showing the same film so you have to give me little credit.

As they say the rest is history. We have been together for forty years and she is still my best friend, she is the first person I ring if anything great happens in my life and is the person who knows when I need a talking to and is the one who supports me when the world tries to crush me.

So Just how lucky am I then?

The answer is very lucky. Now I know how lucky I am but I know that sooner or later we will arrive at a point in our lives when we will be out of control of our destinies.

Our children will make decisions based on convenience rather that what is best for us and I don’t blame them, they have families of their own and their own priorities.

But all I ask is this, please do not separate us, let us see our days out together as we have always done, through thick and thin, through sickness and health. I don’t think that is to much to ask for a lifetime  together.

Forty years ago I met my soulmate and I have been lucky enough to be in her company ever since. I know I am grumpy and she is grumpy but somehow me get along just fine that is unless I don’t do as she says and life can become pretty intolerable.