Chapter 009 - 1986.07.17

Mary traveled up from NJ with two other male friends -

• to go camping in the White Mountains -

  • with my housemate.

I had a housemate -

• because my fiancée had broken off our engagement.

The house was procured for us living together -

• after her forthcoming graduation from her post secondary ed pursuit.

The house was too much for me to handle on my own modest engineering salary,

• so my friend made the intro -

  • thus a housemate vs. a wife.

Neither Mary nor I were immediately taken by the other.

Mary did her own thing upstarts -

• while us four boys played beer pong -

  • the original beer pong -

    • in the basement.

I had my college keg refrigerator still in operation.

We were all pretty young -

• though I had four years on the others.

Mary had recently graduated,

• but took up employment in the city -

  • with the same company she had interned with for two summers.

As I type this,

• I hear Mary upstairs -

  • still working for the same firm -

    • though, with a different company name now.

The NJ friends group went camping -

• and got lost -

  • as part of the exciting weekend trip.

I was invited, but declined -

• because I was too busy at my work.

Ironic, because I was soon let go.

I didn't think about Mary again -

• until my housemate told me -

  • "Mary says hi!"

That simple innocent gesture -

• got me thinking -

  • and the rest is history.

But it was more than six (6) years before we would wed -

• with a lot of fights in between.

We still argue and disagree,

• but mainly about approach -

  • NOT about what's right vs. wrong.

Mary is a very typical human being -

• a great pretender that our world is improving,

  • very slowly, but still getting better.

From her POV -

• not necessarily from the perspective of the typical human being.

She had little idea the depth of what she would be getting into -

• as my life partner.

Oh, she knew it would not be easy,

• but I'm certain,

  • given what she now understands,

    • she would never have accepted that ring.

Mary is a saint,

• for putting up with me and my gloomy,

  • but optimistic,

    • outlook of our world.

Hopefully, she would admit -

• that's the good outshines the bad.

The problem is -

• neither one of us know,

  • if the really bad -

    • is waiting for us yet,

      • in the near future.

We are a good complementary pairing though.

Probably no one else that could have endured all the bad

• that comes with the good of me.

Thank you Mary.

Much love!

One day at a time now.

Let's hope better days are coming.