Chapter 009 - 1986.07.17
I met my wife, Mary, this day.
She was a high-school friend of my housemate.
My housemate worked at the same company -
as one of my high-school friends.
It was just a coincidence that my friend and I -
worked in the same area in a whole different state.
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.