The Plot Thickens

After the very first date I can honestly say that over the next 22 years I could count on one hand the number of days we didn't talk. Immediately we began to find ways to be together. I would go by her apartment for "Sani-Flush" trips, an Auburn tradition (an ice cream place). We would walk through Auburn's Arboretum and sit on the bench and eat ice cream. Early on, maybe even the same week after our first date, I'll never forget. I had two roommates and we lived in a mobile home called "The Barn." The roomies and I were home studying when a knock on the door was heard. It was Susan, with her roommate, bringing fresh, hot, chocolate chip cookies (my favorite!). More appealing than the cookies, however, was the white dress Susan wore. Looking tanned and extraordinarily beautiful, I was mesmerized I admit. Her looking that good and holding a plate of chocolate chip cookies was about more than a man could take. After they left, the boys and I inhaled the plate of cookies and trash-talked each other about how we were getting "reeled in", hook, line, and sinker. And neither of us was complaining one little bit. Oh, and a plot was being hatched for dates for "South Sea Island" a Kappa Sigma specialty!

"The First Date"

After we "met" in Panama City, Florida, our first "date" came quickly. Due to Susan's roommates interest in my roommate, a first date was quickly arranged, on the Monday night after we returned. We were invited over to their apartment for "dinner and a movie." I believe we did something simple, like burgers on the grill, but can't be sure. I'll never forget the movie, though, "Ghostbusters!". I can remember sitting on the couch, getting to know each other, laughing and joking with the movie playing.
After the movie, the two roommates "disappeared" for a while and left the two of us alone. Although it was a little awkward at first, we felt more and more comfortable as the night progressed. Although we had been at school for four years, and had known many of the same people, our paths had never really crossed before that. I had dated some of her sorority sisters, probably had been at many of the same parties, but never had we met.
Little did I know that the kiss we shared at the end of the first date meant that I would not be kissing anyone else for the rest of our lives together. The relationship was off to a good start.

The Begining of the Journey

We met in May of 1986. I barely remember a lot about that first meeting. I was on a beach trip with my fraternity, she was there with her sorority sisters. We were students at Auburn University, and we were in Panama City Beach, Florida. The "brothers" and I had concocted a trash can full of red liquid that tended to make you do crazy things and not remember a lot about it. We were having typical college kid fun, dancing, laughing, falling down, getting back up again. Little did I know: I was about to meet my wife. Her roommate, whom I had known and met for some time, had met my roommate. She liked him. She wanted to go out with him. She asked me to set up a date for her with my roomie, Mike. "Fine," I said, "but you'll have to fix me up to." So she turned around and said, "How about her?" She pointed to her roommate. In the darkness of the moon-lit night all I could see was this stunningly beautiful girl with long blonde hair. "Monday night," I said. And so it was. When we got back to Auburn, the first night possible, we arranged dinner.

Ash Wednesday Preparation-The Journey Begins

Okay, so tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. It is time that many of us decide we are going to "give up" something. The "giving up" something could be as significant as alcohol or unhealthy relationships, or as insignificant as candy. Whatever the case may be, we often look back on these past attempts to eliminate things from our lives and feel the disappointment of having caved in to temptation, failing in our sincere attempt to re-order our lives. It seems another in the inevitable list of disappointments and failings.
This year, however, why don't we do something different? Why don't we use this season of preparation, leading to the celebration of new life at Easter, as a time to journey together in a spirit of hope. We are beginning this "Journey of Hope" on Ash Wednesday, and continuing throughtout the season of Lent, by looking at issues like self-esteem, money/power, relationships, careers/jobs, tempation, suffering and death. I think that as we take this journey together we are going to realize that we have much more in common than we thought. And that the love of God in Christ is experienced in the way that we journey to hope, together.