Marriage: Then and Now

We got married in 1973, shortly after the end of the Pleistocene Era, comparatively. Peggy was a blushing bride of 19, and I, the cause of the blushing, was a worldly 22 with a lot of hair and and a 32" waist, both of which have seen some change in the intervening years. But we were right in the midst of how these things were done back in the day. We were kids and we had nothing but love and some argyle socks and a complete collection of the first three years of National Lampoon magazine.

I often think about another couple we met on our honeymoon in Colonial Williamsburg. We were parading around the main drag of the town, Duke of Gloucester Street, and spotted five 20-dollar bills wadded up on the curb. I looked around with my patented furtive look, suspecting at first that it was some sort of "Candid Camera" setup. But, we picked up the loot and called the police, who sent a town cop right over.

He must have spent his off hours watching "Kojak," because he did all he could to assume the affect of a jaded big city police officer. "This found currency WILL be held at our main headquarters for a period of 30 days, after which time you MAY apply for possession thereof, should the rightful owner not be found by that time," he exclaimed, as he took our contact information and rode off, adjusting his hat.

A day went by and no call came from the police, and then, after dinner on the second day, we came home to a flashing red light on the motel phone. The message was from the town police. "The money has been claimed by a young couple on their honeymoon; request permission to divulge your information to them so they can contact you directly," barked the desk sergeant. Sure thing we said; send 'em on over. In just a few minutes, a scared-looking couple of kids, about our age, showed up at the room. We talked for a few minutes; they were from New Jersey, my second-favorite state of them all, and the guy told us how it happened that he dropped five double sawbucks on the street. It seems that someone in the know told him to stash the twenties in his shoes. I remember the shoes. They were butter-colored, and had thick soles and high heels, the sort of thing that David Cassidy was often seen wearing while prancing about concert halls and tv shows. Ultra-70's. But many's the time I have wondered how things have gone for that couple from the Garden State Parkway State. How is their marriage going? Did they have kids? What have been the highs and lows and whatnot? Why, I'd pay a hundred bucks today to get to see them and hear their story. They were, as I say, just a couple of crazy kids who loved each other. I hope that did not change.

Now, people wait until they have a little time on their life resumes before they walk down the aisle. It's not at all uncommon for people to wait until they are around 30 before they even think about settling down. That way, they have established themselves in a profession, and often times are training for another, by the time they become Mr and Mrs. I know a young woman who is getting married this spring, and just thinking about the early days of our marriage makes me so full of happy thoughts -and best wishes for Rachael and Chad. She is one of the best people I have ever met. She came to work with me right before I transferred to my current job, and she has moved on up the ladder of professional accomplishment - and is planning her next steps, as well as getting married. I am so proud of her, and it's easy to see that she is entering marriage with a made-up mind and a together life. Nothing brings me more happiness at this stage of life than seeing people find happiness and plan their lives together. I wish them the very best of love and luck, together forever!

I've done a lot of things over the course of this American life, and I have had varying degrees of success in them all, but I surely got lucky when I fell in love. As anyone who knows me can verify, Peggy is a saint, the most patient person on earth, and definitely the sweetest. I say this all the time, and it's true so true, but she still makes my heart get all skittery just to see her edging near. If you're getting married this spring or this century, I can't wish you anything better than that.