Monday, June 20, 2011

Books, Horses, and a Fullback—First Love

Geeks did not exist when I was in high school.

Well, we existed, but we were called eggheads. Introverted and shy with dishwater blond hair, bad skin and hay fever that lasted from April till the end of October, I really had little interest in boys because they were—well, boys. Seemed like they were interested in only two things, sports and sex. I never cared much for sports. 

But like many adolescent girls, I did love horses. Unfortunately my family had neither the room nor the money for a horse, and that love remained unrequited. So I spent most of my time with books, which I had learned to love even before I loved horses. The result was that I was a pretty good student. That’s why I took chemistry. And the combination of that love of horses and chemistry led to my first real love.

No, really. Chemistry can happen.

All year I had walked into class with a friend and sat down in the second row in front of a contingent of football players who completely ignored us. We had nothing in common with football players, who, I thought, tended to be not very bright and interested in only two things (see above). One day, for some reason I’ve forgotten, my friend turned around to them and said, nodding toward me, “She loves horses, but she doesn’t have one.”

One of the football players I’d noticed a couple of times before, even though I wasn’t really attracted to tall, dark and handsome guys, looked very thoughtful and replied, “Oh, that’s a shame. I can get hold of a couple of horses any time I want, and I’m not that interested in them.”

And this very shy, introverted egghead, blurted out, “Is that a proposal?”

Not long after, he asked me for a date.

We were 16 and 17. He wasn’t intimidated by a runny nose, a few zits, or good grades. He had a wacky sense of humor and a wide-ranging curiosity, and he used up all his aggressiveness on the football field. We were married at 20. He studies science, and I study literature; he leans right, and I lean left; he likes country music, and I like classical. I won’t even tell you how many years we’ve fussed, argued and debated everything from what to have for dinner to the space-time continuum, but I will tell you it’s never been dull, and we’re still married.

He will always be my first love.

copyright Angela Parson Myers 2011

15 comments:

  1. That's a great story! But.....did he ever get you that horse ride?

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  2. I LOVE this story! Most people look for someone very similar to them when it comes to friendship and love but I always like to find people with a great deal of different interests. It keeps life interesting. I already know all there is to know about myself and would find it extremely boring "looking in the mirror" or "listening to myself" so-to-speak, every single day. I enjoy learning new things and being shown things in a different light and my friends and past boyfriends have done that.

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  3. Mike: He and I rode horses together for the next three years before we no longer had access. I discovered that while hubby could ride about any horse, I could fall off about any. I still love horses, but only to look at.

    Dances With Vodka: I think that being friends with people who make you think and look at things differently also teaches you things about yourself you thought you knew but didn't.

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  4. What a wonderful story! So well told that I am sure everyone reading it feels like they were right there with you. Opposites really to attract and my husband and I couldn't be more different. It's a rough road and a soft place to land because no matter what the world brings us, it's always "us" and never "me" and "him".

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  5. This is a wonderful story . . . but you've got to work on his leaning the wrong way.

    Joyce
    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

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  6. Wonderful wonderful and thank you for sharing!

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  7. Loved this story and the happy ending to hear you're still together after all this time. :) Lovely!

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  8. I love this! That's how love should happen - when you're not looking for it. Wonderful memory!!

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  9. OMY GOSH........you won my heart..again! THIS IS MY NUMBER ONE..teary eyes..smiling wide!! MUAH!!!
    o and my capitcha is CROTAL rhymes with scrotal LOLOL

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  10. That is sooooo sweet!!! I love stories like this.

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  11. Awww, that was cute and beautiful and funny and I loved every second *hugs*

    PS - This ... Seemed like they were interested in only two things, sports and sex. I never cared much for sports..... Made me laugh far more than it should have *chuckle*

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  12. That's so sweet. Sometimes opposites do attract and can live together happily too. I married a couple of opposites, and we attracted for a while, but then things fell apart when the differences grew too much to handle. 3rd time lucky for me though, I count myself very lucky now in many ways.

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  13. You're so lucky to have had someone like that in your life!

    www.kateescapenj.blogspot.com

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  14. Kate & Poddys: Yes, I am very lucky. I think you're lucky if you ever find someone you can share your life with that way, and I was lucky enough to find him when we were very young. We've had some wonderful times together and some really great arguments. : - )

    Joyce: I keep working on the direction of his lean and think I've straightened him out at least a little bit. : - )

    Thank you everyone for your kind words.

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  15. So uplifting! I love reading stories like this. Lasting love is so elusive. Congratulations!

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