Still Buzzing After 25 Years
A young man and slightly younger woman, are introduced by a mutual friend. Both think the other is too good for them and are embarrassed to interact. Numbers are nervously exchanged, via the friend, and slowly conversations start. Her sitting in a corner at home with the phone, cable in wall and receiver pressed against ear, as they learn about each other’s life.
A first date, it’s December and the rain falls on the dark road that leads to his flat on the edge of town. She drives up in her inherited blue Ford Fiesta that was once her nans and now one her most treasured possessions. He greets her with a wave, she returns his wave with a thrusted hand, complete with Mr Matey bubble bath of which they had reminisced about during their long calls.
A dinner, in a restaurant. A first for her; who had little experience of formal dates, boyfriends being few before now as her oddities too intimidating for most. Tiny portions presented on large plates, provided to the pair who were seated smack in the centre of the restaurant for all to observe. A trip to MacDonalds for a second meal for him that provided more filling fare.
A second date, then more. A friendship developing quickly into feelings of reciprocated love.
Time passes. Introductions to families made. Friends becoming mutual. Lives become entwined, dreams of a future together.
Dreams coming true.
I was 20 when I met my now husband. I was about to attend full-time drama school - a strange decision considering my mix of shy and introversion, but an attractive idea for him to tell his friends when talking about me!
25 years later we’ve just celebrated a quarter of a century since our first date. We often look back over our time together and talk about the people we where when we met versus the ones we are today. Both of us matured late when it came to knowing ourselves or what we wanted from life, although we had many of the same dreams - living in the middle of a nowhere, by a woods, was one we often talked about as we drove around pointing at our dream homes across the fields! Our love of animals was mutual from the start. Actually his love of cats, my love of all animals and particularly cats! When he invited me to move in with him I also moved my two kittens with me who provided hours of entertainment climbing Christmas trees, bringing in sticks and falling in the bath! Since those two we’ve so far had 7 cats (2 still with us), we have of course also added two dogs, four chickens and millions of bees to the menagerie - I’m currently working on him for a goat, donkey or giraffe!
We have now spent more of our life with each other than apart and can’t imagine it any other way. I think that one of the reasons we work together so well is that we both like to work. We’re busy bees! Our ambition is constant, with contentment always our goal (something I think is often overlooked as an emotion worth striving for but inevitably the best of all the emotions to live with). Some of our decisions have been risky - moving to our current house the boldest one we’ve made with it’s hidden and visible renovation requirements and almost off-grid status. But we keep each other going, balancing each other out and recognising when it’s time to stop (ok, we’ve not quite mastered the stop part but we can encourage each other to slow down (ish)!!)
We went away for a night to celebrate and the next 25 years were often mentioned. His parents have just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary so it would be great to get that far too. I wonder how our lives will have changed in the next 25 years…. and how many animals I will have by then!
Thanks for reading my little reminiscence. I hope you too have had a chance at contentment.
