Love Isn't Always On Time...
Previously, Chapter 7: I'm Over My Head, But It Sure Feels Nice...
The thought of getting married before graduating and receiving my Bachelor's Degree made me wonder if we shouldn't be more patient and wait another year. That maybe it wasn't the right time…
To me, Susan was the most beautiful girl in the world, and her unconditional love was something I had never experienced before. At 19, my parents left in search of their own dreams, leaving me to fend for myself. It was Susan and her family who fed me when I was hungry and loved me when I no longer loved myself. She was the best thing that ever happened to me…
I didn't want to break her heart, and I didn't want to lose it either. There had to be a way to get married and finish school, too.
Right about that time, the heads of the P.E. department at Northeastern came to address my entire P.E.class, informing us that the market for gym teachers had narrowed considerably in 1978. "There are two gym teachers per school," they said. "A boy's and a girl's, and normally they stay at their jobs for 30+ years, and right now there are very few opportunities for new teachers in the field…" They suggested that we all consider changing majors. When I asked about our P.E. specific courses being transferred to other majors, they said they couldn't be. We had all wasted our time and money on careers that were no longer available, at least in Massachusetts, according to them.
Susan and I both enjoyed warm weather and sunshine, and we discussed relocating to Florida, where there was a greater demand for teachers. I could go to school during the day and work nights, and with Susan's Associate's Degree in Early Childhood, she could easily find a job as a preschool teacher. It would also give me a chance to reunite with my parents, who had been living in Miami for several years, and for Susan to get to know them better.
Susan didn't need a huge engagement ring; in fact, she said she'd be content with a quarter-carat diamond, and that we could get a good deal at the Jeweler's Building in Boston from a friend of her family's.
Okay. We had a plan. I looked into Susan's beautiful eyes and told her I loved her, that she was the only one I wanted to marry, and that I wanted her to be my wife. She immediately hugged and kissed me, and accepted my spontaneous proposal. She was so fucking happy and nothing made me happier than seeing that.
It was certainly an unconventional way to propose. There was no surprising her by dropping to one knee, ring in hand, and saying something mushy in public. No hiding the ring in a piece of cake at some fancy restaurant. And no one was there waiting to snap a photo either. We did something unheard of: I proposed first, and then we went looking for a ring together.
My '71 Barracuda was parked beside the screen porch, under the pines at Susan's house in Sharon, and since we were both living in Boston, we rarely used it. I sold it for $600, put $300 in the bank, and we took the rest with us to the Jeweler's Building to buy the ring.
We slipped a lot of different rings on her finger, and when she found one she liked, it looked incredible. Once I saw that beautiful smile, the one that had always made me feel so special, I was quick to say, "Let's buy it!"
It was a great day. I was so happy for us. Now, we had to tell her parents the exciting news…
It may not've been the ideal time to get engaged, but love isn't always on time…
It's not in the way that you hold me
It's not in the way you say you care
It's not in the way you've been treating my friends
It's not in the way that you stayed 'til the end
It's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do
Hold the line
Love isn't always on time…
To be continued…