A few days ago, you may have read on facebook that I had been married to Roz(I should say she's been married to me) for 21 years now. I would like to tell you a tale today. A tale of 2 kids who acted like they were a little older than what they were:
As I began my first semester in college, like most young guys, I was in constant pursuit of young women. I didnt say college girls, that narrows the field too much. I dated for a short while, but nothing took. As I commuted from home and also worked here in town, I spent about half my time STILL in Kingwood, still running around with Dewey and harassing the locals. Funny way to put it, really. We had a contest at the radio station involving a local video store. People called in and answered a question that I would give and if they got it right, they got a free rental. I was supposed to give the store a list of winners so they could dole out the rentals to the right people. I started going to the store to deliver the list because I recognized the girl working there. Let me back up a second. I think it was my senior year in high school, a young Roz Arison was outside the school doing some school work(ahem). I took one of her books and Dewey and I proceeded to mark up quite a few pages (minutely) on the bottom edges. We put small instructions on how to get to the next page we marked, and on and on. A very upset Roz Arison was afraid she'd have to buy the book, so I got her a Pink Pet eraser to try and fix the damage.
All was forgotten for a while. Back to the video store. I started talking to Roz and finally convinced her to let me fix the contest so she would get free rentals. She probably got them anyway, working there and all. She was also a candy striper for the hospital and one day she volunteered at a blood drive. As I lay on the guerney(I've donated since I was 18) I asked her to go out with me. She kept shushing me and I kept on insisting that I was worth going out with. Later, she informed me that I was laying feet to head with her current boyfriend, that's why she kept shushing me. As you can see, it didnt stop me. I had talked to her sister and good 'ol sister in law to be invited me to a birthday party at their house. She was not thrilled to see me there, let's leave it at that. I brought here a little silver heart on a chain and her mother had to all but hold a gun to her head to get her to wear it. Heh heh. On a separate occasion, I asked her to cut my hair, pleading that I didnt have anyone else to do it. She had on a Minnie Mouse sweater when I got there. (still dont know why she agreed to cut it) Minnie had strategically placed rhinestone eyes. I remarked on them as I realized the vicinity that I was staring at. I still am amazed that she went further with the relationship later.
Sometimes you cant explain why something happens or why you feel a certain way, it just happens. I will be quite honest with you: I always wanted a family, even from a young age. I knew I didnt want to lead a life of wine, women and song... maybe just wine and song with one woman, right? Anyway, I had my mind made up, even as she dated some other guy. I asked her to marry me, of all things. I wrote it on the back of a picture and gave it to her. And then I asked her every day until she said yes. So on we went. After a few semesters of college, I grew restless and moved to the far side of the world. A place called Ohio. I worked in a government factory for a few months and made more money than I had ever held at one time. Roz came to join me and I denied her nothing. I made sure there was jewelry and flowers every payday and we took a lot of road trips. I wanted to continue my education and I knew I wouldnt do it there, the money was just too good. I moved us back home and shortly, joined the Army. I wanted to let you good taxpayers finance my education.
While stationed in Germany, we experienced the Gulf War and our first son, Nathan. He was born in a German hospital about 9 months after the war ended;) We took as many trips as we could and saw many places in Europe, we went to Czechoslovakia, France, Austria and a layover in England(didnt see much of it, though). All the while, we had many great friends and experiences and it really seemed a shame when we came home. Sort of. It was great to be home and to see 0ld friends and relatives, but our military friends were mostly gone back to their own lives. Tim and Judy have kept contact with us through the years and we have visited several times, although it is too few and far between. Judy was there at Nathan's birth and her and Tim have been as close to us as family, even though separated by several states and jobs that keep us apart for long stretches. Isnt it funny how you can come together with someone from a world away and wind up feeling as close or closer to them than people you knew your whole life?
A couple years after we came home, we had Nick. He was born the night Cindy Brown's(midwife) daughter and her boyfriend burned their barn down. What a way to remember it, huh? As we worked our way through life here, settling into a groove and jobs that we were comfortable with, we decided to get the kids through college and then we'd go back. We have been through a lot these 20plus years, good and bad. I think the reason we made it so long is that the good always outweighs the bad. Bad things happen to good people, I think that's a fact. I also think that bad things happen to test us and to teach us.
Roz has stuck with me through trials and tribulations and I her. She looks at me with the same eyes that I saw so long ago, eyes that thought if I wanted to be with her that bad, then I must be worth staying with. She has rarely questioned my motives, but she rarely hesitates to keep me on a good path. She has kept my poor impulse control in check and she has also encouraged me in my crazy endeavours. We've made it this long, I see no reason to give up now. As our children approach that age where they are going to be out on their own, or at least in college, I feel like we're about to begin a new chapter. It feels like a bit of nostalgia and a bit of fright mixed together. We've been fortunate to not have to much left to pay on our house and other than that we make do with older vehicles to avoid an unnecessary payment. When the house is ours alone again, we will still be young enough(in my opinion) to enjoy ourselves much as we did back then and still help out the boys. I can wait for grandkids, if you're reading this boys.
I have been a bit vague, I suppose. I can tell you that we have had a love affair with zoos and museums, both here and in Europe. We have a stack of souvenier plates from a butt load of castles we visited over there and we have always like unplanned road trips. We usually get an idea of the direction and maybe one destination and then let the wind take us where it may. We have been to the Hummel figurine factory and Euro Disney, Paris and Pittsburgh(who hasnt, right?), Toledo and Canada, Oklahoma and Texas. We got lost in the ghetto in a big city once and were all but strip searched by border patrols. They took the seats out of my car and ripped the carpet up, true story. We started a business and built a house. We have tried to help others and we saw the world change around us. We have tried to remain a constant while keeping up with the times.
I can only hope that the remaining years we have left, I will appreciate her as much as she has looked to me for hope. I try and empart some to you now and then, and I want to make you think sometimes, but much of what I am I owe to Roz. She was there for me when others were not, she calmed me when others could not and she has been a friend when no one else was there. I apologize in advance if I forget these things from time to time and I would like you to feel free to remind me, when you see fit. After all, Roz is only one person, and she has to deal with ME. She needs all the help she can get.
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